Nora's Children
by IdiotWithaBoxandaScrewdriver
Summary: A little badger babe is left at the gates of Redwall, with only a stick bearing the name Skyeyes to identify her. Others are left at the gates of Redwall over the years, each with the memory of bright yellow eyes and a crooning growl. Who is the mystery rescuer of babes? Will they ever know?
1. Chapter 1

Star: I own nothing!

The full moon hung high over Mossflower woods. Old Trebuck Forwith, the hare gatekeeper of Redwall Abbey had just finished his midnight snack and was settling back down to go to sleep again when a knock came at the Abbey gates.

He threw off his covers, grumbling softly to himself as he shrugged on his dressing gown and put on his glasses. He grabbed the lantern hanging outside the door of his hut and went to the gates. He opened it and peered out into the dark, seeing no beast standing there.

He was about to close the gate when he heard a soft snuffling sound. He looked down to see a badger babe, looking to only be a few seasons old, wrapped up snug in a blanket and sleeping peacefully. A little piece of wood was tucked into the blanket with the babe and he picked it out, squinting at the writing gouged into the wood.

**Skyeyes take care of her**

Trebuck sighed and lifted the badger babe, groaning at the weight. Even baby badgers were heavy after all. He squinted into the darkness one more time, but didn't see who had left the babe there. He thought whoever had done it must have been pretty desperate to leave a babe that was obviously loved to strange beasts.

%&%&%&%

Sister Cincha was a practical little mouse, who ran her infirmary with a firm but loving hand. The Dibbuns loved coming to her, because if they were good and patient, she would give them a little sweet when they were done. She did not allow them to fake being sick or injured just to get a treat though, that would earn them a whack on their tail and a scolding.

She was not pleased when Trebuck roused her in the middle of the night, but she softened when she saw the bundle that he was holding. "And you said she was just left outside?" She asked as she inspected the babe.

"Yes marm. No one blooming out there, not that I could see, wot." Trebuck replied. "Of course these old eyes aren't what they bally well used to be."

Cincha hummed in agreement, finishing her inspection of the tyke. "Well, she's healthy as can be, well fed, bathed and uninjured. Not sure why some beast would just leave her then." She said, shaking her head.

"Mayhap they couldn't take care of her anymore." Trebuck suggested. "And new jolly old Redwall Abbey wouldn't turn away a helpless babe."

"Perhaps." Cincha agreed. "Skyeyes, what a pretty name."

The babe then chose to wake up, yawning widely and opening startling blue eyes. She gave a gruff squeak of alarm at the sight of them and backed up until her back hit the wall. She growled at Sister Cincha when she came near.

"It's alright, you're safe." Cincha soothed. The babe didn't seem to understand what she was saying, which was odd, because she was old enough to be a Dibbun. Skyeyes started making little motions with her paws which confused Cincha even more.

"I say, I think she's trying to speak to us with paw signs!" Trebuck declared. "The Long Patrol uses paw signs when they need to be absolutely silent, wot!"

"Does that mean she can't speak?" Cincha asked.

"Or whoever bally well raised her couldn't." Trebuck replied. "Sadly I don't know enough about paw signs to try and speak to her."

"Here, let's try something a little simpler." Cincha said. She tapped her chest with a paw. "Cincha." She said. "Cincha."

The babe cocked her head at her and then tapped her own chest. Then she pointed to the sky and then put her paws over her eyes. "Skyeyes. She's telling you her name as she knows it." Trebuck said.

"Skyeyes." Cinchasaid, pointing at Skyeyes.

"Sk-Sky… eyes." The babe said, making Cincha sigh in relief.

"So you can talk, just never had anyone talking around you." She said gently. "We're not going to hurt you." She found one of the sweets that she kept in her apron and set it on the bed. Skyeyes looked at it warily, so Cincha took another sweet from the pocket and ate it in front of her. "Mmm." She said. "It's good."

Skyeyes, watching her closely, snatched up the candy and ate it. "Mmm." She said, imitating Sister Cincha. Cincha decided to take a chance and sat down on the bed. Skyeyes pressed herself against the wall again, but didn't growl at her like before. Cincha didn't fancy getting bitten by a frightened baby badger, so she was going to have to be careful.

"No one is going to hurt you here, you are with friends." Cincha knew Skyeyes didn't understand what she was saying, but she was hoping her tone would get across to the babe. Skyeyes began to lean towards her as she spoke, her bright blue eyes showing interest.

Suddenly her little paws moved again in a flurry of signing, her expression sliding towards panic. "I'm sorry, I don't understand." Cincha said. "I don't understand."

The panic in the babe's blue eyes turned to distress and despair and after a moment the babe gave a little wail and curled up into a ball, crying loudly. Cincha immediately scooped the cub up, not even considering that Skyeyes might fight being held by someone she didn't know. She had a distressed baby to look after, no time to be cautious now.

Skyeyes tensed for a moment and then latched onto Cincha's apron with her paws, sobbing shaking her little body. Cincha began to hum a soft lullaby and rocked the little badger, something she had done many times for many little ones. Slowly Skyeyes' tears dried up and she was asleep in Cincha's arms.

Cincha tucked the little creature into bed and turned to Trebuck, who hadn't moved an inch since the babe had started crying. "She loved someone very much and they left her here." Cincha said, near tears herself. "Why would they do that?"

"Like I said earlier my gel, mayhap they couldn't take care of her." Trebuck said gently. "In which case, someone loved her very much."

"What do you mean?" Cincha asked.

"Think about it, my dear." Trebuck replied. "How would you feel if you had to give up one of your little Dibbuns to someone who you'd never met before?"

"I don't know if I could." Cincha replied. She loved the Dibbuns very much, for all the mischief they got into.

"What if you knew it was safer with someone else?" Trebuck prompted. "What if there was a chance they would get hurt if they stayed with you."

"Then I would give them up." Cincha said, sniffing. "I would rather have them be with someone else and safe, rather than with me and hurt."

"There there now my gel, don't cry." Trebuck said, handing her a handkerchief. "See, sometimes we do things that hurt for the ones we love, wot. Doesn't mean we love them any less. Mayhap the beast that left little Skyeyes will come back someday, when they feel safe enough to."

"Anything is possible, isn't it?" Cincha said, drying her eyes with the handkerchief. "Until then we'll take care of her, just like every other Dibbun."

"That's my gel." Trebuck said, smiling approvingly. He put the little piece of wood with Skyeyes' name on it beside the cub in her bed. "We'll make sure she grows up knowing someone loved her very much, enough to leave her with somebeast who could take care of her."

%&%&%&%

Far away in the darkness of Mossflower woods, a hooded figure stopped and turned back to where they could still see the stones of Redwall. A paw reached up to wipe at their face and they allowed themselves a soft sniff of regret. Then, silently, they turned away and disappeared into the darkness of the woods.


	2. Chapter 2

Star: I own nothing!

_Today is a special day at Redwall. Today marks the eighteenth anniversary of our dear badger Sky's arrival at Redwall. Little more than a babe and only taught to communicate with paw signs, we'd had quite the time teaching her to speak as regular beasts do, and by the time she was able to she had long forgotten who had left her at Redwall's gates. _

_What is interesting was that Sky was only the first of many babes to be left in much the same way. Since Sky there's always been at least one babe left at the Abbey, mice, voles, otters, hedgehogs and even one precocious hare made their way into our walls, no family to speak of, all too young to tell us what had befallen them and who had left them to us. The only thing with them was some scrap of some sort telling us the babe's name and asking us to take care of them. _

'_Tis a strange thing, to be gifted little ones all the time. One begins to think there is something mystical about the whole thing, seeing as no one has ever seen the one who has done the leaving. What kind of beast must they be, to leave a babe and not wish for the same sanctuary?_

_But enough of my ramblings. There is a celebration to be prepared for, in honour of our first beloved foundling!_

_Abbey Recorder Matteo Malrick_

Sky knew that today was special for her, and that there was a feast in her honour, but she just didn't feel like celebrating. Today just reminded her that she didn't know anything about where she'd come from, a fact that weighed on her mind more and more in recent seasons. All she could remember, all any of the foundlings could remember, was a pair of yellow eyes and a comforting croon almost like a growl.

Her friend Lop the hare flopped down in the grass beside her, his one lop-ear flapping in his face. "Here now Skyeyes, what's with the long face?" He asked. Unlike Trebuck, he did not have the distinctive hare speech patterns.

"It's just today." Sky said. Lop nodded in understanding. He'd come to Redwall the same way as her, a few seasons afterwards. His full name was Lopear, most of the foundlings had names that were based on some physical or personality trait.

"Come on now, I know it's a hard day for you, but think of the feast." Lop said, rubbing his paws together and smacking his lips. He certainly had a hare's appetite.

"The feast is your favourite, not mine." Sky reminded him, flipping his lop-ear over. He grumbled and flicked it back in place. "I just would like to know who left me here."

"We all would." Lop reminded her. "But how are we supposed to do that? We wouldn't even know where to start looking."

"I know, Lop." Sky sighed. "It's… it's a dream, I know. But I need to know."

"Well, maybe we'll get lucky and somebeast will see them when they're leaving their next foundling."

"Right." Sky said sceptically. "And this creature is going to make a stupid mistake after all these seasons, why?"

"I don't know." Lop shrugged.

"Is she being gloomy again?" Sunny asked, plopping down beside them both. She was a petite field mouse who'd come to them with the name Sun-smile, a nod to her cheerful disposition. She was a season younger yet than Lop. "Come on Sky, it's supposed to be a happy day, please smile at least."

"I think I'm just going to bring some lunch to Trebuck." Sky sighed, getting up.

"Well, maybe he can cheer you up." Lop sighed.

"Maybe." Sky agreed. She trudged off, heading towards the kitchen. Friar Bustle smiled when she came in.

"Now, no peeking at the menu for tonight." The rotund hedgehog said teasingly, brandishing a ladle at her.

"No, just here to bring Old Trebuck his lunch." Sky replied. She then spotted Freckles, an otter named for the dark spots on his cheeks, scrubbing dishes. Freckles had been found the same season as Sunny.

"Freckles, have you been making trouble again?" Sky demanded, hands on her hips.

"I only put a bit of hot root pepper in Brother Hemsy's tea, I don't know why he got so excited." Freckles replied, completely unrepentant.

"You are wicked creature." Sky said, shaking her head at him.

"I do try my best." He replied cheekily. Sky reached over to him and cuffed him on the head, gently of course. His tricks often amused her, after all. She waved goodbye to him, taking the tray laden with a hearty soup and Trebuck's favourite strawberry twilsey on it and heading upstairs.

Old Trebuck had retired from gatekeeper when his eyesight really started going. He had a comfortable room high in Redwall Abbey, where he spent his days napping and telling stories to anybeast who would stay long enough to listen.

Sky pushed the door open with one paw and stepped inside. "Is that my lovely Sky I hear?" Trebuck's old reedy voice asked from his cushy armchair. He always seemed to know exactly who was near him, despite the fact that he was now completely blind.

"Yes Trebuck, it's me." Sky replied. "I brought you lunch."

"Oh, it's about time my gel, I've been feeling as though I'd bally well die of starvation up here." Trebuck said with a laugh. Sky set the tray down in his lap and he fumbled for a second getting his spoon, but was soon eating with the same gusto he always had. Sky sat down on the rug in front of Trebuck's chair, just waiting.

"Lot of hustle and bustle today, wot." Trebuck commented. "It's your foundling anniversary isn't it? Eighteen years now, hasn't it been?"

"Yes." Sky sighed. Trebuck tilted his head at her.

"Don't sound very excited about it, do you?" He commented.

"It just… It's just one more reminder that I have no idea where I come from." Sky explained.

"Ah, I see." Trebuck leaned back in his chair, taking a sip of his twilsey. "There's a part of you that feels like it's blinking missing, wot. You see all those beasts with parents of their own, and you see yourself and the other foundlings and you wish you had somebeast like that, yes?"

"Yes, or at least the knowledge that I did have somebeast like that, instead of wondering if they just hadn't wanted me." Sky exclaimed.

"Sky, can you look in the bottom left drawer of the desk in here?" Trebuck asked. Sky was confused, but did as she was asked. She opened the drawer, finding a collection of pieces of wood and scraps of cloth inside.

"What?" She asked.

"Look at them." Trebuck prompted. "Look at the writing on them."

Sky picked one up, and then another and another. They all had a name on them, names she knew well, as well as a plea to take care of them. When she got to the bottom she found one with her name on it. She lifted it out, cradling it gently in her paws.

"Was going to give that to you today, as a present." Trebuck explained. "Somebeast loved you very much, otherwise they would not have asked us to take good care of you."

"But why would they leave me then?" Sky asked, brushing a tear off her cheek.

"I always thought it was because they couldn't give you the care you needed, so they brought you somewhere that jolly well could." Trebuck said.

"I want to know though, I want to be able to look them in the eyes and ask why." Sky said.

"Well, you are certainly bally well old enough to go wandering." Trebuck commented. "So long as you bring somebeast with you, maybe that friend of yours, Lop."

"You're encouraging me to go?" Sky said.

"If you think it's right for you, then I think that you should follow your heart." Trebuck replied. "Talk to the Abbot, tomorrow though, today's a day for celebration, so go and jolly well enjoy yourself."


	3. Chapter 3

Star: I own nothing!

_Sky walked through darkness, feeling small and afraid. Then, from out of the darkness a pair of glowing yellow eyes appeared. From all around Sky came a crooning sort of growl, which instead of making her more afraid, put her at ease. She made to go to the eyes shining in the darkness, but no matter how many steps she took they never seemed to get any closer to her._

_Suddenly the darkness lifted, and Sky found herself at the edge of a massive, darkness shrouded forest. She went to go in, but massive brambles tore out of the ground, blocking her path. "That's not for you, my gel, not yet, wot." A familiar voice said behind her. _

_She turned and her mouth dropped open. "Tre-Trebuck?" She asked. The hare loping towards her was way too young to be Trebuck, his brown eyes gleaming bright and his patchy brown fur with not a hint of white in it. _

"_It's bally me alright, my dear." He said, drawing up to her. "Haven't felt so jolly young in ages."_

"_What do you mean that forest is not for me?" Sky asked. "It feels so peaceful."_

"_As it should, but it's not your time yet, not for a long time, I should bally well think." Trebuck replied. "Now, I need you to listen, because I don't have much bally time and I have a message for you." _

"_What do you mean not much time?" Sky demanded, voice rising._

"_Listen, my dear." Trebuck insisted, placing paws on her shoulders. "This is important, listen carefully."_

_Child abandoned in love_

_Seek now what you desire_

_Within the forest of death there is life_

_Be not afraid to trust_

_Do not judge by appearance_

_When the rain of blood_

_Falls upon the stones of red_

_A heart of love will conquer cruelty_

"_What does that even mean?" Sky cried in frustration. _

"_Don't jolly well know, my dear." Trebuck replied. "I'm just the messenger, and it's time for me to go." With that he kissed her forehead and walked towards the dark forest. The brambles parted for him and he disappeared into the trees._

"_Wait, Trebuck!" Sky called. "Don't go, wait!..._

"WAIT!" Sky shouted, rolling over and falling off her bed with a thump.

"Sky?" Sunny's sleepy voice asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just a dream." Sky said, shaking her head to clear it. She couldn't get rid of the lingering sense that something wasn't right though. "I'm going to bring breakfast to Trebuck, go back to sleep."

"Okay." Sunny yawned, pulling the blankets over her head and starting to snore again. Sky chuckled softly and quietly put on a frock, sneaking out of the room on quiet paws. Most of the abbey's inhabitants were probably still sleeping off the feast. Sky hadn't eaten much though, still consumed with her desire to know herself.

Friar Bustle smiled warmly at her as she stepped into the kitchens. "I didn't think I'd see anybeast up until midday." He chuckled.

"I was going to bring up breakfast for Trebuck." Sky replied.

"Was about to do that myself." Friar Bustle commented, holding out a plate and a mug for Sky. "That hare probably ate twice his weight in food last night, yet I know he'll be yelling for breakfast soon if somebeast didn't bring it to him."

"Well, that's hares for you." Sky said, thinking of Lop and his bottomless pit of a stomach.

"Be off with you." Friar Bustle said kindly, waving his paws at her. "I'll have something for you ready once you're done with that old hare."

"Thank you, Friar Bustle." Sky said. She headed up the stairs, quietly so as not to disturb the rest of the abbey. When she came upon the door to Trebuck's room, she knocked.

"Trebuck?" She called when she heard no answer from within. "I've brought breakfast."

There was no answer still. Feeling her fur begin to stand up on end she slowly opened the door to peer inside. Trebuck didn't seem to be awake yet, he wasn't in his chair waiting for his breakfast, which was odd. Sky stepped into the room, her heart hammering in her chest.

"Trebuck?" She whispered, getting no answer still. She crept over to the bed and found Trebuck lying peacefully there. "Trebuck?" She touched his shoulder and then drew back, finding him cold to the touch. "Trebuck!" She shouted, shaking his shoulder.

He wasn't breathing, none of his regular snores, not even a small gasp of air from his lungs. "No, no, no." Sky whimpered, shaking him again. "Trebuck, Trebuck, wake up, please, wake up!" She sank to the floor beside his bed, crying like a small babe. She was still there when Friar Bustle came to check on her.

%&%&%&%

Abbot Oaken pushed a mug of mint tea towards Sky, watching her with kind eyes. He had been Abbot since Sky could remember, a grey squirrel who was only going white in small patches. "You were very close with Trebuck, weren't you?" He asked. "I know this must seem so terrible, my child."

"He was fine yesterday." Sky sniffled, ignoring the mug. "I don't understand."

"Sometimes the body just quits." Abbot Oaken sighed. "He was quite old. He was already grown when I was a Dibbun, after all."

"I just can't believe he's gone, he's always been here." Sky whispered.

"He always did have a special interest in you, him and Sister Cincha both." The Abbot said. "He was the one that found you though, so that makes sense."

"He taught me how to talk." Sky said, rubbing at her face with a paw. "He held me when I cried for whoever had left me. I don't want him to be gone!" She wailed. The Abbot placed a paw over hers and gave her a handkerchief.

"No one ever wants the ones they love to be gone, but we are not immortal, my child." He said. "Quite frankly I don't think one would want to be immortal, would get quite boring and lonely after a while. Trebuck lived a good long life, and now it's time for him to have a well-deserved rest in the Dark Forest. That doesn't mean you cannot grieve though."

Sky remembered her dream then. "He came to me, in my dream." She told the Abbot. "He spoke to me, and then he went into the Dark Forest. It wouldn't let me in, he told me that it wasn't my time yet."

The Abbot looked concerned. "What did he say to you?" He asked. Sky repeated the odd poem, if it could be called that. The Abbot began to look a lot more worried. "Oh dear, we haven't had a message like that in generations. Usually, when somebeast is given a message in a dream, it comes from Martin the Warrior himself, and after usually comes trying times for Redwall. That rain of blood line, that doesn't sound good at all."

"Do you mean that the poem is a prophesy?" Sky asked.

"They usually are, of sorts, anyways." Abbot Oaken replied. "Seek now what you desire." He tapped his desk with a paw. "What is it you desire, child?"

"Trebuck and I spoke of this often. The thing that I most want is to find the one who left me here, and find out why." Sky said. "The message, it's telling me to go?"

"It would seem that way." Abbot Oaken replied reluctantly. "It would not be an easy task though."

"The message has a clue though, the forest of death." Sky pointed out. "I'm not sure what that means, but it surely is important. I'm of age now, Father, I know you would like me to stay, but you could not stop me from leaving."

"Of course not." Abbot Oaken sighed. "And you are so headstrong, I would not be able to convince you to stay. A message such as this should not be ignored."

Sky couldn't stop the rush of excitement that cut through her grief. Finally, she was going to find out where she'd come from.


	4. Chapter 4

Star: I own nothing!

"You're leaving?" Sister Cincha exclaimed when Sky went to her for herbs that she should be packing with her on her journey. "Aren't you a little young for adventures?"

"It's not so much an adventure as a mission." Sky replied. "You know I want to know where I came from."

"You're too young." Cincha protested. "I can't believe the Abbot would agree to this."

"Sister, I'm of age, and the dream was given to me, so obviously I was meant to go." Sky told her. "I won't be going along, Lop is coming with me." Sister Cincha snorted at that. "Yes, I know, but it's better than me going alone. Freckles was all for coming too, but the Abbot said he was too young yet."

"That scamp, out there in the world." Sister Cincha said, shaking her head. "Don't think the world is ready for him. And I don't think you're ready for the world."

"Sister, why are you so against this?" Sky asked. Sister Cincha sat down on one of the infirmary beds and sniffled softly. Sky sat down next to her and took one of her paws in her own. Cincha looked down at her tiny paw dwarfed by Sky's.

"I remember when you first came here, you were so little." Sister Cincha said. "You were so scared, and so lost too. You couldn't even talk, although you were old enough that you should have at least understood speech, but you only understood the paw signs you could make. Had a devil of a time figuring out how to communicate with you." She added with a watery chuckle.

"I'm not a babe anymore, though." Sky reminded her. "I'm grown up now, and I want to know."

"What if you find what you're looking for, and you don't come back?" Sister Cincha asked.

"Sister, this is my home, I'm always going to come back." Sky replied.

"I'm just being silly, aren't I?" Sister Cincha asked, brushing a tear from her fur.

"You've been parenting me since I got here." Sky said. "You and Trebuck both." At the mention of Trebuck, Sister Cincha's chin began to wobble and big fat tears dripped from her eyes.

"That silly old hare." Sister Cincha sniffed, taking a handkerchief from her apron. "I used to have to shoo him out of the infirmary while you were still staying there, because he'd sneak you all kinds of sweets, interrupt lessons when you started to be taught how to talk because he wanted to take you for a stroll through the gardens, getting you up in the middle of the night to get a midnight snack. Honestly, it's a wonder you didn't turn out spoiled beyond belief."

"I miss him." Sky said softly.

"And I do too." Sister Cincha said, sniffling. "As annoying as he was sometimes." She sighed. "It makes sense that he was the one to come to you with the message. Usually it is Martin the Warrior, but I'll bet Trebuck wanted to have one last goodbye."

"That would be like him." Sky agreed. "He wants me to go on this journey." She added, glancing at her. "It would be insulting to his memory not to do it."

"That's a low blow and you know it, missy." Sister Cincha scolded. "But you are right." She conceded. "You should talk to Sister Cirrus though, before you head out. As the historian she might have some idea what the forest of the dead is referring to."

"I hadn't thought of that." Sky admitted. "Would be easier than wandering around the woods trying to find it with just luck."

"It would." Sister Cincha said. "Go find her, and I'll make some packs of herbs for you and Lop."

Sky reached over and hugged Sister Cincha, feeling the small mouse squeeze her back. "I promise I'm coming back, okay?" She assured her.

"You'd better." Sister Cincha replied.

%&%&%&%

Sky knocked on the door to Sister Cirrus' office. "It might have been fun just wandering off into the wilderness." Lop commented. "I mean we would have found it eventually, I don't think the forest of the dead would be a hard thing to find."

"Now you're being silly." Sky said.

"Well, you're far too serious." Lop replied. "One of us has to be." He flicked his flopped over ear out of his eye. "What do you think the dead refers to? Dead trees, dead beasts?"

"Don't know." Sky replied. "Hoping to find that out here." The door opened and Sister Cirrus, a vole with unusually light coloured fur peered out at them.

"Well, what are you two scamps doing here?" She asked them, wiping her eyeglasses absentmindedly on her habit.

"We're hoping you can help us out with a message that Martin sent me." Sky said.

"Martin's been sending messages again?" Sister Cirrus asked. "Dear me, that hasn't happened in quite a few generations. Last time I think was the prophesy of Trisscar, but that was before my grandmother's grandmother's time. May I hear it?"

Sky repeated the message for what felt like the thousandth time that day. Sister Cirrus hummed softly, frowning as she closed her eyes. "That line about the rain of blood, that's not very good sounding at all, no, no."

"We were actually hoping you knew something about the forest of the dead line." Sky said, drawing her out of her contemplations.

"Oh my, why would you want to go anywhere of the dead?" Sister Cirrus asked, sounding shocked.

"The message was telling me to seek the one who left me here all those years ago. The forest of the dead is the place I was told to go." Sky replied patiently.

"Well, orders are orders I suppose." Sister Cirrus sighed. "One does not simply ignore a message from beyond of course." She cleaned her glasses again, staring up at the ceiling. "As a matter of fact that does bring something to mind." She finally said.

"Really?" Lop said with disbelief. "That's a spot of luck."

"Just a matter of finding it." Sister Cirrus said, wandering over the bookshelf. "Good thing it's not Brother Rhode keeping this place up, could never find anything in here." She tutted in obvious disapproval over such disorganization. "My shelves are sorted by year and season of course, which is the only way to get things done. Now, if I'm remembering correctly, the journal entry I'm thinking of came from about twenty five years ago."

She searched through a few of the bound books, rifling through the pages carefully. "Ah, here we are!" She declared, bringing over a slim volume to the table. "From the Summer of Bees." She cleared her throat and began to read.

_A family of voles travelling through Mossflower has come to rest before taking on the road again and they have quite the tale to tell. East of the ford on the River Moss they say, near a week's march there was a great marshland that stretched as far as the eye can see. Now, the voles say, the entire thing has dried right up! _

_Imagine that if you will, an entire marsh just dried up. The voles say that there are many caves in the area, so maybe a new one formed beneath and the water from the marsh was drained out down it. 'Tis a strange thing to think about though, all those plants and trees just drying up, dying where they stood; a dead forest, can you imagine such a thing? _

"I imagine that dead forest is still there, if the water keeps draining away." Sister Cirrus said, closing the book again.

"So we head east after the ford on the River Moss, and that's it?" Lop asked.

"If the account is true, then it will not be hard to find, marsh as far as the eye could see, remember?" Sky replied. "Thank you, Sister, you've been a big help."

"Yes, yes." Sister Cirrus muttered, putting the book back where it belonged, apparently no longer noticing they were there. Sky ushered Lop out and closed the door behind them.

"Now we know where we're headed." She said. "All we have to do is get packed up."

"I'll get the food." Lop offered.

"No you won't, you'll wind up filling our packs with food that won't last, I'll do the food, you go see Sister Cincha about medicines." Sky ordered.

"Bossy badger." Lop muttered, flouncing off.


	5. Chapter 5

Star: I own nothing!

It was early morning when Sky and Lop set out on their journey. Abbot Oaken and Sister Cincha were there to see them off, as well as a crowd of the younger beasts who had been left like Sky and Lop had. A young mole named Dusty was holding onto Sky's paw.

"Burr, you'm be goin' in thurr?" He asked, pointing at the forest. "Wut if it beez rainin'?"

"Little water never hurt anybeast." Sky replied.

"Don't loike water." Dusty replied. Sky felt a tug on her cloak and looked down to see a hedgehog dibbun by the name of Chip, for her chipped front tooth, standing by her.

"Are you going to come back?" She asked.

"Of course I am." Sky said, patting her soft headspikes. "Maybe I'll even bring back the one who left us all here, so you can meet them."

"Maybe they don't want to come back here." A young red squirrel named Flame said, crossing his paws over his chest. "They left us here, didn't they?"

"And that's what we're leaving for, isn't it?" Lop replied. "To see why they left us here, if it was out of love, like we believe."

"Sunny, Freckles, can you look after the younger ones?" Sky asked. Sunny nodded, and elbowed Freckles.

"What? Oh yeah, we'll look after them, don't you worry." Freckles said with a grin.

"Somehow that doesn't make me feel much better." Lop commented.

"I'll keep him in line." Sunny said with her trademark bright smile. "You two just worry about finding what you're looking for."

Sister Cincha fussed with Sky's cloak. "Now, don't travel at night, and find somewhere safe to sleep, maybe up in a tree?" She said. "Make sure you're drinking lots of water, and don't snack too much and waste all the food in your packs. Rest when you need to, and try to avoid doing too much in the heat of the day."

"Sister, we'll be fine." Sky said, taking Sister Cincha's paws in her own. "We're coming back, remember?"

"Of course." Sister Cincha said, though her eyes were suspiciously moist. She gave them both one last hug and then stepped back to let the Abbot say his piece. Abbot Oaken laid a hand on each of their heads gently.

"Be safe, my children. Go, and know that our love will follow wherever you go, and may the spirit of Martin the Warrior watch over you." He said. "And like Sister Cincha said, come back to us."

"We will, Father." Sky replied. "Come on Lop."

The two of them headed down the path leading away from the Abbey and Sky took one last look back as the gates of Redwall closed. This was it, her oldest dream was finally coming true. She knew that she would find the one who had left her at Redwall, that much she knew from the message, whatever she had to deal with before would be worth it just for that.

"So, when do we stop for lunch?" Lop asked when they got into the forest.

"Lop…" Sky sighed. "This is going to be a long journey if you're forever thinking about food."

"Oh come on, where's your sense of humour? I was only kidding." Lop said, skipping around her as she walked.

"If you don't settle down you're going to run out of energy long before we have to stop for the day." Sky chided.

"Oof, you're no fun." Lop said, falling in step beside her. "Come on, this is supposed to be an adventure!"

"It won't be much of an adventure if you're complaining about being tired or hungry the whole time." Sky replied. "If you want a snack, why not snack on those berries?" She asked, gesturing to a plant with little round berries on it by the side of the path.

"Those are poisonous." Lop replied.

"How do you know?" Sky asked.

"Spend a lot of time around Brother Coptis, the gardener." Lop replied, puffing out his scrawny chest. "He's taught me a thing or two about plants."

"Then it's a good thing I've got you around, isn't it?" Sky said with a smile.

"It is indeed." Lop agreed. "Elsewise you might find yourself throwing up for hours, or worse." He added with a shudder. "Some of the plants in here can be deadly."

"It's a really good thing you're along then." Sky said.

"Do you think we'll meet up with any vermin?" Lop asked.

"I don't know Lop, that's why they gave us each a knife, right?" Sky said. "You can't be too careful out here, no walls to keep vermin out."

"So we'll be sleeping in trees like squirrels then?" Lop asked.

"Better than being caught off guard while we're sleeping." Sky replied. "I think that's worth the discomfort, don't you?"

"Oh probably." Lop replied glibly. "I'm guessing no fires after dark either?"

"Nope." Sky agreed. "Don't need to be drawing attention to ourselves. Besides, it's summer, the sun doesn't go down 'til late. We'll have dinner before sundown and then go to sleep once it goes down."

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Lop said, wiggling his one upright ear. "Now what about lunch?"

"Tell you what," Sky sighed. "When we get to the ford we'll have a little sit down for a snack. But, just a snack." She said, waggling a paw under his nose. "And not a snack like you'd eat, one like I'd eat."

"I'm going to be all skin and bones by the time this adventure is done, aren't I?" Lop asked, sighing theatrically.

"You could do without a few meals, you're getting a gut." Sky teased, poking Lop's belly.

"Hey!" Lop protested. "That's all muscle!"

"Right." Sky replied sceptically. "And I'm a toad."

"I don't know, you've been looking rather green and warty lately." Lop teased, dodging the playful swipe Sky aimed at him. "Now who's going to run out of energy?"

They made it to the ford in good time and Sky sat down on the grassy bank. She pulled out a pouch of dried berries and nuts for the two of them to share. "Don't be taking anything out of your pack." Sky admonished, wagging a paw at Lop. "There's more than enough for the two of us to have a decent snack in one pouch."

"Aww, Sky." Lop complained, pouting at her.

"It's not as though there won't be things to eat on our journey through the forest." Sky reminded him. "You can snack on whatever you find that's edible, so long as you're not slowing us down."

"I'll do my best, commander!" Lop quipped, throwing a mock salute at Sky.

"I've half a mind to dunk you in the river." Sky told him. "Except I don't want to have to deal with you complaining for the rest of the day."

"And if you dunked me, I'd just shake myself off all over you." Lop replied. He popped a piece of dried fruit in his mouth and made a face. "Yuck, blueberry."

"How do you not like blueberries?" Sky asked. "They're delicious."

"I just don't." Lop replied with a sniff. "You don't like October Ale and I love it."

"Fair enough, I supposed." Sky agreed. "I want to put my paws in the water, but I've heard there's pike in there."

"Ugh, fish, nasty." Lop shuddered. "Good when grilled though."

"Come on, you walking stomach, it's time to go again." Sky said, standing up and brushing off her cloak.

"Well, we've made it to the ford, where to now, o fearless leader?" Lop asked. Sky took out the compass she'd been given and found where east was.

"That way." She said, pointing a paw in that direction. As the two of them headed off the path into the forest, she couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement. Her journey was beginning at last!


	6. Chapter 6

Star: I own nothing!

Something tickled Sky's nose, and she brushed it away with a paw, thinking that it was a bug. She'd spent a bad night's sleep up in this tree and was hoping to get a little extra sleep before having to wake up and start the day. The bug returned again, tickling Sky's nose and making her sneeze. A laugh that could not have been produced by a bug saw her eyes shooting open.

"Freckles, you pest!" She roared at the grinning otter in front of her. "What in the name of Martin are you doing here?"

"Coming along of course." Freckles replied, jumping off the branch they were both on and dangling from a lower one. "Can't let you have all the fun."

"You aren't supposed to be here." Sky scolded. "What must the Abbey be thinking?"

"Aw, I left them a note." Freckles said, jumping from branch to branch on his way down the tree. Sky followed slower, clinging to the trunk of the tree. "Besides, why do you get to go and not me? I was left too."

"I'm of age, you are not." Sky said, thankful when her paws touched the ground. Her eyes widened at the other beast who was there too. "Sunny?"

"Freckles convinced me." Sunny said, having at least the sense to look sheepish.

"Of course he did." Sky muttered. She eyed the small fire that Lop was tending to calmly with some trepidation. "A fire might attract attention." She commented, paws on her hips.

"Worrywart." Freckles teased, poking her. "We did a check around before lighting it, no beast within sniffing distance, and we used wood that doesn't produce lots of smoke."

"Come on, Sky, easier to dissuade ruffians if there's more of us." Lop said.

"You can't be serious, Lop." Sky sighed.

"I can be serious, sometimes." Lop said. "Besides, what are we going to do, escort them back? We'll lose an entire two days' worth of walking doing that. And, if we try to send them home on their own, odds are good that they'll just tail us. They're here now, may as well get used to it."

Try as she might, Sky couldn't figure out an argument to counter that. Lop was right, to escort them back would take too long, and Freckles certainly wouldn't go on his own. She looked at Freckles' grinning face and frowned. His grin only widened; he knew that he'd won.

"Fine, you can come." Sky said reluctantly.

"Yes!" Freckles crowed, waving his paws in the air and then dancing over to where Sunny was making pancakes. The two of them had their own packs, which was a good thing, since with two packs they would not have had enough food for all of them.

"What do you all have in those packs?" Sky asked.

"Oat cakes, dried fruits and nuts, a couple small packages of acorn flour, one little pan, that sort of thing." Sunny said cheerily. "I made sure we only picked things that were good for travelling. Freckles was all for bringing cakes and such, until I reminded him that it would get all mashed together in the packs."

"Well, at least one of you has some sense." Sky sighed. "Not much, mind you, you didn't have the sense to stay home."

"Come on, it's an adventure." Sunny said, smiling. "More fun with more of us. Besides, did you really think that leaving Freckles to look after the Dibbuns was a good idea?"

"Probably not." Lop said with a laugh. "They'd have taken over Redwall by the time we got back."

"There's a frightening thought." Sky said with a mock shudder. "Well then, breakfast, and then on the road. We don't stop for long, just long enough to have snacks and rest our paws. We don't do anything that draws too much attention to ourselves, and we sleep somewhere that can't be reached too easily, like trees, is that understood?"

"Yes, commander!" Freckles said, throwing up a mocking salute. Sky huffed at him while Sunny giggled. Lop got up, looking as though he were about to wander off.

"Lop, where are you going?" Sky asked.

"I know I saw some raspberry bushes when we were passing through yesterday." Lop said. "Raspberries would make a nice topping for pancakes, wouldn't they?"

"They would, but take Freckles with you, you shouldn't go off on your own." Sky said.

"Yes, mum." Lop sighed. "Come on Freckles." Freckles stood and raced after Lop. Sky sighed in exasperation.

"Don't be too mad, you know that Freckles has always itched to go on an adventure." Sunny advised. "Better he get go on one with people that can curb his enthusiasm a little bit, right?"

"I guess." Sky said. The thought of Freckles going on a journey alone made her fur prickle. He'd be far too likely to make the wrong beast angry with his joking, or wander straight into a camp of vermin. It really was a good thing that he had all of them around then, and maybe having one adventure would help him settle down; then again, knowing Freckles, probably not.

%&%&%&%

"Freckles, can you please quiet down!" Sky exclaimed. Freckles was singing an off-key rendition of a travelling song.

"Oh come on Sky, what's the harm?" He asked. He started singing again and Sky winced as he butchered a high note.

"We don't want to draw attention to ourselves, Freckles." Sky reminded him.

"You worry too much." Freckles said breezily, skipping out of the reach of a paw swat from Sky.

"Your friend is right!" A voice declared from within the trees of the forest. "Any sort of beast could be hiding in here, waiting to trip up unwary travellers."

"Who's that, who's there?" Freckles squeaked, darting around to hide behind Sky. A truly massive male hedgehog rose up from among some bushes and stepped in front of them, one paw idly twirling a green-painted club.

"These woods are filled with all sorts of unsavoury creatures." The hedgehog told them. "You are lucky I was the one to hear you and not them."

"Just like I've been trying to tell him, sir." Sky said. "I'm Sky, of Redwall, and these are my companions Lop, Freckles and Sunny."

"Well met young ones, I am Atelerix of the Clan of Greenclub." The hedgehog said, bowing his massive head to them. "What are such young beasts such as yourselves doing wandering in the deep woods?"

"We're on a quest." Sunny chirped. "We were all left at Redwall when we were babes, and we're trying to find the one who did the leaving. Sky was sent a message in a dream that's leading us on our way."

"A prophesy dream is it?" Atelerix asked. "My, my, must be an important thing to be doing then."

"It's important to us, anyways." Sky said. "You haven't noticed anybeast wandering through the woods with little ones of different kinds, have you?"

"Can't say I have." Atelerix said. "But the forest is vast. I must warn you though, there is a horde that's been wandering in and out of this forest for many years now."

"A horde?" Sunny asked, sounding worried.

"I wager you'd hear them before they got too close, but you would do well to avoid any encounters." Atelerix said seriously. "The vermin that leads them, can't remember his name at this time, but he's a cruel one, not a beast you want to be crossing, do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir." Sky said. "We're going to be as careful as we can, aren't we?" She glared at Freckles, who grinned sheepishly at her.

"I'd accompany you, but my clan is waiting on me, and I dare not risk the wrath of my dear wife." Atelerix sighed. "You have a good head on your shoulders though, so I think you will be alright. May your ancestors look after you."

"Thank you for the warning sir, and we will be careful." Sky said. "If you and your clan are ever near Redwall, come visit."

"That we shall." Atelerix said with a smile. "Fair weather to you all." He said, lumbering off again.

"Okay, so a horde sounds bad." Lop said.

"Which is why we're going to be taking this very carefully." Sky said, beginning to walk. "Which means no more singing."


	7. Chapter 7

Star: I own nothing!

Abbot Oaken read the note one last time and sighed, rubbing at his temple. "We need to send somebeast to bring those two back." Sister Cincha insisted.

"Cincha, I understand your concern, but we have only the vaguest idea of where Sky and Lop were headed." The Abbot replied. "It would be a futile mission."

"That rascal." Brother Hemsy, a skinny otter, said. "Told me when I caught him out for putting hotroot in my tea that if I liked hotroot so much in my soup, why shouldn't I like it in my tea? Let the scamp stay away for a while, I say."

"I does beez more quiet-loike around 'ere withoot 'e." Foremole Brunn agreed. Sister Cincha glared at both.

"Mercy's sake, Sister, we're not saying we don't want him to come back." Brother Hemsy said, putting up his paws. "We're just saying that the quiet would be nice, and besides that, a little time away from Redwall might be what that rapscallion needs to help him grow up some."

"But-" Abbot Oaken put up a paw to silence Sister Cincha's next argument.

"While this is not ideal, there is not much we can do about the situation." He said sternly. "He is not alone, and Sky knows how to curb some of Freckles' more… impulsive tendencies. They will come back." He told Sister Cincha gently.

"There's just so much that could happen to them out there." Cincha said, wiping a paw across her eyes.

"You've always been soft on all those abandoned young ones." Brother Hemsy said. "You're the closest thing to a mother any of them has."

"You'm beez missin' thum loike thurr yor own children." Foremole said.

"I agree with Foremole." Abbot Oaken said. "Your closeness with those young ones is what makes you so afraid. Do not fear, many of our young ones have gone on journeys in the past, and they have come back."

"Some haven't." Sister Cincha said softly.

Abbot Oaken was about to answer when Sister Avella, a plump little dormouse who had taken over duties as gatekeeper when Trebuck's eyesight got too bad, came running in, gasping for breath.

"There are vermin at the gate!" She declared shrilly. "They're here to kill us all!"

"Sister Avella, calm down." Abbot Oaken ordered. Sister Avella flapped her paws, but took a deep breath and seemed to settle a bit. "Now, tell me what happened."

"Well, I heard a knock at the gates, so I peeked out, don't know why I didn't just open it right away, but thank heavens I didn't, and there was the biggest rat I had ever seen in my life standing in front of the gates!" Sister Avella said. "And a whole horde of vermin behind him."

"And what did you do then?" The Abbot asked.

"Ran straight here of course." Sister Avella said. "Wasn't about to open the gates for vermin, or try to talk to them."

"Well then, I suppose we'd better go and see what they want." Abbot Oaken said.

"You're not actually going to talk with them, are you?" Sister Avella asked. "They're vermin."

"To not do so would be rude." Abbot Oaken said. "And besides, I doubt they will leave unless we choose to talk to them."

Abbot Oaken stood and walked out of Cavern Hole, moving at a steady, but unhurried pace. The rest of them followed after him, reminding him of a string of ducklings following after their mother. Sometimes he felt a little like a mother, trying to get everybeast to cooperate and play nicely with each other.

He walked up the steps on the wall and peered down. There was indeed a horde at their gates, a few hundred vermin of all sorts that he could see. Sister Avella was right about the lead rat being large. He was also heavily scarred, with red stripes either painted or tattooed across his face.

"What brings you to our gates, master rat?" Oaken called, deciding diplomacy was the first response.

"Are you the leader of this place?" The rat asked, his voice flat, but clear.

"I am the Abbot of Redwall Abbey, Father Oaken, if it pleases you." Abbot Oaken replied. "Again I ask, what brings you to our gates?"

"Why, this lovely establishment of course." The rat said, smiling humourlessly.

"Will wonders never cease, an educated vermin." Abbot Oaken heard Brother Hemsy mutter.

"What of our home?" Sister Avella demanded shrilly. "What do you nasty beasts want here?"

"Sister, settle down." Abbot Oaken chided.

"Your Abbey would make a wonderful base of operations for my horde." The rat said. "And you and yours will make good slaves for us."

"Never!" Brother Hemsy cried, the cry being echoed by the other beasts that had gathered on the walls. Abbot Oaken felt a swell of pride for his Redwallers, but shushed them impatiently.

"My answer is the same as my companions. Peaceful creatures we may be, but we will defend our home." Abbot Oaken told the rat. "Many like you have tried to take this place and its creatures, and they have all failed. If you are as intelligent as your manner of speech suggests, I hope you will see that it is far better to leave us in peace."

"Pretty word, Abbot." The rat said, inspecting his claws. "But I have not become leader of this horde, feared by Mossflower Woods and beyond, by listening to the warnings of others. Now, you have given me your speech, I shall give you mine."

"Wish I had a rock or something." Brother Hemsy muttered. "Nasty beast."

"You may feel safe behind your stone walls, but they cannot hold us out forever." The rat declared. "When your defences fall, my forces will show no mercy. If you open your gates to us, you will not be penalized. Should you fight, when you are defeated, the punishments for your resistance will be quite severe. I am not a beast accustomed to showing mercy."

"Redwall has not stood the test of time by giving into the demands of vermin." Abbot Oaken said firmly. "We will fight to our last breaths before allowing you to take over this place."

"Perhaps a little incentive is in order." The rat said, smiling cruelly. He flicked one paw in the air. There was a sound like the buzzing of a bee and suddenly Brother Hemsy was toppling over beside Abbot Oaken, Sister Avella's screams ringing in his ears.

Sister Cincha was on her knees beside Brother Hemsy immediately. There was an arrow sticking out of his chest, right through his heart. His eyes were still open, and an expression of surprise was forever imprinted on his face. Sister Cincha reached out with a trembling paw and closed his eyes.

"He's dead, Father." She said softly, a little unnecessarily.

"Do you think that this will cow us?" Abbot Oaken said to the rat. "Do you think that we will not fight and instead cower? We may be peaceful beasts, but we are no cowards. You have killed one of our own, now we will fight with everything we have."

"I suggest you take time to consider things carefully." The rat replied, cleaning his claws with a knife. "Think of your little ones, your elderly. I will give you one day to think on your decision. I will come for your decision at midday tomorrow. Think very carefully on how you answer me, I am not accustomed to waiting like this."

"Our answer then will be the same as now!" Sister Cincha cried bravely.

"Your blood is up." The rat replied. "Let it cool, and then see how you feel."

"Go away vermin, before your fate is the same as all the others who have come before you." Abbot Oaken suggested. "What makes you think you can succeed where they have failed?"

"Because I am Bloodrain, leader of the mightiest horde these woods have ever seen. I have killed my own father to take charge of his paltry band of robbers. I have fought clan leaders and sea pirates and taken their beasts into my horde. I have laid waste to towns and farms and all manner of creatures." The rat replied with a nasty grin. "Nothing has stood in my way, why should this place? I await your answer."

He gestured with a paw, and the horde fell back, occupying the ditch and open field a little farther away from the Abbey. "Bloodrain." Sister Cincha said softly. "A rain of blood, oh dear."


	8. Chapter 8

Star: I own nothing!

An emergency meeting was held in Cavern Hole. "What do we do?" was the question coming from almost everybeast's mouth. Abbot Oaken allowed the noise to continue for several moments and then held up his paws for silence.

"This is not the first time Redwall Abbey has had army at her gates, and every time, the vermin have been beaten back." He said firmly. "We will not bow to the demands of this rat."

"They killed Brother Hemsy." Sister Avella called. "They have no problem with killing unarmed beasts, how are we supposed to fight against that?"

"We will likely be required to kill, yes?" Friar Bustle said.

"Yes, I'm afraid that may be the only way to prevent these creatures from taking our home." Abbot Oaken said.

"Burr, them varmints won' show no mercy, us'm can't beez showin' them mercy too." Foremole said calmly.

"Foremole is right, violence is about the only thing vermin understand, and I will not allow our Abbey to be overrun by these vermin." Sister Cincha called out bravely. "If it keeps our little ones safe, then I will do it."

There were murmurs of agreement all around now. "For those wondering if killing these vermin makes us like them, I say this." The speaker was Undertow, a heavily scarred otter who had come to them a few seasons ago. "My family was killed by vermin, we'd tried surrendering what they wanted of us, but the vermin still slaughtered them. I barely escaped with my own life. Had we fought back, maybe my family would be alive today. We fight to protect, they fight to destroy, that is what makes us different."

"Thank you, Undertow." Abbot Oaken said. "We'll need to find weapons, bows and arrows, slings, blades of any kind, and we need to draw up plans, figure out where the weak points are in our defences and shore them up. We have a day before fighting really starts, and it should not become a bloodbath unless they get past our gates. Right now I want volunteers up on the walls, watching those vermin."

As everybeast began to file out to find weapons, take up positions on the wall or do whatever Sister Cincha walked up to the Abbot. "Do you think the young ones are alright?" She asked anxiously.

"I do not know." Abbot Oaken admitted. "I do not think they fell prey to this horde, Bloodrain seems like the kind of beast who would use our young ones as hostages, not just kill them right away."

"That is something of a relief then." Sister Cincha said. "I'm going to go make sure my infirmary is well stocked, in case we get more injured."

Abbot Oaken watched her go and then turned to the tapestry of Martin the Warrior. As always, the figure of Martin seemed to smile down benignly at him. Abbot Oaken sighed and rubbed at his tired eyes. He looked up at Martin again.

"I do not know how much you help us, how much you can, but please, watch over our Abbey, and watch over the young ones who are not here right now." Abbot Oaken said. "If ever we needed help, now is the time."

%&%&%&%

Undertow watched the vermin mill about in the ditch and in the openness of the meadow, practicing with blades and bows where they could be seen. It was a show, put on for the ones watching on the wall. Here indeed was a clever vermin, using scare tactics to try and wear down resistance. He curled his lip in distaste as he spotted the large rat moving around the horde. If only they were close enough for him to put a rock through the vermin's head.

Just as he was thinking this, an arrow came whistling out of the trees nearest to the vermin and imbedded itself in a weasel's back. Pandemonium fell as more arrows peppered the vermin horde as they retreated further into the meadow, away from the trees. Several bodies of vermin were on the ground, shot by arrows. The assault stopped as soon as the vermin were out of range.

Undertow perked up a little bit, seeing that their flight had put them in range of a sling or an arrow from Redwall. If only he actually had a weapon to do so. He walked along the wall, pacing in frustration at not being able to do more.

"A pity that you have no weapon with you, isn't it?" A voice said beside him. Undertow whirled, coming eye to eye with a female squirrel with fur as black as night. She carried a massive bow, as well as a quiver full of arrows fletched with black feathers.

"Who are you, how did you get here?" He demanded.

"My name is Obsid, leader of the tribe of Blacktree." The squirrel replied. "As for how I got here, I climbed. Be lucky none of those vermin are as proficient at climbing as squirrels are, your walls have more than enough pawholds for me and my warriors to get up."

"You might not want to be in that forest, marm." Undertow said. "That Bloodrain's a smart vermin, he'll figure out how to get your warriors."

"Don't worry, we know all about Bloodrain." Obsid replied flatly. "I will move my warriors as soon as I know that we are welcome here."

"Abbot Oaken's not going to turn away any beast who needs shelter." Undertow replied. "You'd best get the rest of your tribe inside, before Bloodrain goes into action."

She nodded her head and walked around the wall, scrambling down the wall out of sight of the horde in front of their gates. "Who was that?" Brother Linnaeus asked.

"A friend, I hope." Undertow replied to the hedgehog. "She was firing arrows at the vermin."

"Was she?" Brother Linnaeus asked. "Must have missed that."

"This isn't a game, Brother." Undertow said fiercely. "If you're going to be up here, you need to keep your eyes peeled."

"Alright, alright." Brother Linnaeus said grumpily. "We've got till tomorrow till those vermin attack anyways."

"Yes, but by watching them we can figure out if there's any weaknesses." Undertow replied. Brother Linnaeus waved a dismissive paw at him and wandered off. Undertow wondered how many dead Redwallers it would take to make them take this as seriously as they should. Some of them seemed to think that because they had these walls around them, they were safe.

"Lazy beasts." Obsid commented in his ear. He jumped and glared at her, earning a thin smile. A corwd of about a dozen squirrels, all of them jet black, were standing behind her, wall with black-feathered arrows in their quivers.

"Nice to see you again." Undertow said drily. "Now, I can't leave the wall till my relief comes, but if you go inside and ask anybeast where you can find the Abbot, you should be able to talk to him."

"Thank you." Obsid said, bowing her head to him. She flicked her tail at her companions and they followed her down the stairs.

%&%&%&%

Abbot Oaken was startled to find a number of black squirrels watching him as he pored over maps and blueprints of the Abbey. "My word!" He exclaimed. "Forgive me, you gave me a bit of a fright."

"My apologies." The lead squirrel said. "My warriors and I have learned to move silently, we've been tracing the steps of Bloodrain's horde."

"You've come across Bloodrain before?" Abbot Oaken asked. "Forgive me, I am Abbot Oaken."

"I am Obsid, leader of the tribe of Blacktree. The squirrels you see before you are all that's left after Bloodrain came to us." Obsid said. Abbot Oaken stared, horrified. "This is the largest place he's tried to attack so far, we wanted to offer our assistance."

"That's very kind of you." Abbot Oaken stuttered out. "We're not warriors, I'm afraid, so it would be good to have some beasts who know what they are doing."

"I'm sure it would." Obsid said flatly. "We have come across too many families that we've been too late to help. We will not allow the fate that befell our tribe to fall upon this place."

"Redwall Abbey has yet to fall to any vermin." Abbot Oaken said. "And we aim to keep it that way. We may be peaceful creatures, but we will fight to protect what is ours."

"You have a warrior's spirit. That is good." Obsid observed. "You'll need it for what is to come."


	9. Chapter 9

Star: I own nothing!

The little ones had been sent to bed, which meant that the war council was underway. Sister Cincha looked at the dozen or so black squirrels that lurked on the edges of Cavern Hole. She saw the way they watched, their eyes hard, and she shivered. These beasts were warriors, and they had seen death. She couldn't help but feel that was a good thing in these times though.

Abbot Oaken stood up and lifted his paws, waiting for silence. "No doubt you all have noticed our new guests. Obsid and the rest of her clan have agreed to help us fight Bloodrain and his horde, and I would like us all to be able to hear what she has to say about this beast."

The black squirrel moved to where the Abbot was standing, her eyes flicking over the crowd. "What I am about to tell you is not for the faint of heart." She said, her voice flat. "Those with weak stomachs may wish to leave."

She waited a moment, but nobeast moved. "My clan encountered Bloodrain near four seasons ago." She began. "His horde was not as big as it is now, but it was still an impressive size. Unlike your home, he did not give us the option to surrender, he simply attacked us."

"Why did he do that?" Somebeast called.

"Because unlike this place, he was not planning on making our patch of forest his base of operations." Obsid replied. "He did not need or want slaves from us, he just wanted to be sure that we could not fight back against him when he did take over Mossflower wood."

"That is his ultimate goal then?" Abbot Oaken asked.

"I believe so." Obsid replied. "With this place to keep him safe and not having to wander, why not?"

"Well, he can't have it!" Undertow declared. Obsid smiled thinly at the assorted shouts that rang out in agreement to this declaration.

"You have spirit, I'll give you that." She said. "For us, Bloodrain came in the night. We were caught by surprise, and so most of us were slaughtered before we were even able to leave our beds. Our patch of forest is deep, and there are crow territories around it, we did not think anybeast would get through."

"What about your little ones?" Sister Cirrus asked. "Where are they?"

"They were slaughtered along with every other beast in our camp." Obsid replied tonelessly. Loud gasps came from every corner of the room and Sister Cincha put her paws over her mouth, horrified. "In fact, they seemed to target the little ones in particular."

"What kind of monster would do that?" Sister Avella asked, sounding as though she were weeping.

"Bloodrain." Obsid said matter-of-factly. "We've encountered a lot of beasts who have lost loved ones and who have escaped him themselves. The monster enjoys hurting little ones."

"Can you tell us more?" Abbot Oaken asked reluctantly.

"Bloodrain will kill an entire family, except for the little ones too young to take care of themselves." Obsid said. "Them he'll leave alive, no food, no water, doesn't take long for a beast as young as them to die. He lets the victims know that he's going to do that too, lets their last sight be their little baby crying for mummy and daddy."

The shocked silence that followed this blunt statement was total. "Will… will they do that to our little ones?" Sister Muri, who had several children of her own, asked in a small voice.

"I think they will attempt to use your little ones to make you cooperate." Obsid replied.

"What does that mean?" Undertow asked.

"I think what they will do, once they have you defeated, is bring out your little ones, and kill some of them, make you watch." Obsid said. "Then they would tell you to comply, or they would hurt the little ones. Better way to keep you in line, the punishment doesn't fall to you, but to the innocent, and you get to watch."

There were noises in the room that suggested that some beasts were wishing that hadn't eaten so much at dinner. "How can anybeast be so evil?" Sister Muri asked.

"I wish I knew." Obsid said, her voice sounding sad. "Such beasts do not deserve any sort of mercy, I hope you do not intend to give them any." She added, voice hardening. "Because me and my warriors will not."

"We may not be warriors, but we will defend our homes, and if that means killing, then so be it." Abbot Oaken said. "We are not so peaceful that we will not put up resistance."

"Wiser beasts than some we've encountered then." Obsid said. "Most refused to join our cause, sticking their heads in the sand and refusing to see what's in front of their noses. These monsters will not show mercy even to those that surrender themselves."

"And we will show no mercy to them!" Undertow declared in a growl. "This is our home, and they will not take it from us."

"Good." Obsid said, nodding her head in approval. "Keep that attitude, you're going to need it. I don't know what kind of tactics Bloodrain will use to try and take this place, but you should all be prepared for fire, digging, somebeast trying to pick the locks on your gate, ladders and ropes, and general scare tactics. If we're lucky, any beasts nearby in the woods will have cleared out, I don't think Bloodrain is above using hostages to get his way."

"What happens if they do get hostages?" Sister Cirrus asked.

"Find some way to rescue them, or end their pain." Obsid said, shrugging her shoulders impassively. "Will you really sacrifice all the creatures here to save one beast?"

"I don't like the idea of letting somebeast die." Somebeast said in the crowd.

"I think you'll like having Bloodrain here even less." Obsid said.

"As Obsid said, if they do manage to take a hostage, then our goal will be to rescue them." Abbot Oaken interjected. "Never did she suggest that we just leave them to their fate. Our first goal is to prevent loss of life, just because we have an army at our gates, we will not become heartless. Does that satisfy you all?"

There were murmurings amongst the crowd. "Do you think it's possible to make some of the beasts in Bloodrain's horde abandon him?" Undertow asked.

"I do not think that will be possible." Obsid replied. "They are as much bound to him by bloodlust as they are by fear."

"What do you mean?" Undertow asked.

"If any beast questions Bloodrain, he will gut them and leave them to die." Obsid replied. "And anybeast who defies him that has a little one of their own, he will force them to leave their little one behind as they march on, to die of starvation, or by other creatures that might make a meal of them."

Sister Cincha closed her eyes, horrified by the brutality that she was hearing about. Little ones too young to take care of themselves being left alone in the world, what kind of monster could do that? She remembered all the little ones that had been left behind, Sky, Lop, Sunny, Freckles, and every other little one that had been dropped at their door, and she wondered if their parents had been slain by Bloodrain. If so, her little ones were very lucky indeed.

"We can't do much tonight, so we will make preparations in the morning." Aboot Oaken said. "Obsid and her warriors can assist in establishing how we will defend ourselves. For now, I think we'd best all find our beds, tomorrow will be trying indeed."

Sister Cincha watched Obsid as the creatures of Redwall filed out of Cavern Hole. When Obsid thought no one was watching, her shoulders drooped and an expression of loss crossed her face. Sister Cincha, never one to let any beast suffer alone, quietly walked up to her.

"Who did you lose?" She asked softly. Obsid looked at her, startled.

"My husband, and our son." She replied shortly. "Didn't even have time to get my bow strung before they were dead. We couldn't even bury them, just left their bodies and fled from Bloodrain. That beast has to be stopped."

"I do not disagree." Sister Cincha said. "It's not all doom and gloom though."

"How do you figure that?" Obsid asked, frowning at her.

"For the past eighteen years, somebeast has been leaving little ones, too young to be out on their own, outside our gates for us to find." Sister Cincha said. "Nothing but a scrap of wood with them, telling us their name and asking us to take care of them."

"What is your point?" Obsid asked.

"You said that Bloodrain leaves little ones to die alone." Sister Cincha said. "To me it looks like somebeast has been rescuing them. Somebeast is fighting in some way against Bloodrain. There is hope. I know it's not much, but sometimes hope can make the dark feel a little less dark."

"What is your name?" Obsid asked, after staring at her with those dark eyes for a long uncomfortable moment.

"I am Sister Cincha." She replied politely.

"Hold onto that hope, Sister Cincha, you're going to need it." Obsid said gently, patting her on the shoulder. "Keep a hold of it for me, for when I need it too."


	10. Chapter 10

Star: I own nothing!

"Sky, can't we stop?" Freckles whined. Sky blew raindrops off her nose and turned to look at him.

"And where do you suggest we stop?" She asked. "It's not as though we have tents."

"We can barely see in front of us, we could fall into a ravine, or a river, or something." Lop said. "We at least could find a big old tree to settle under, no point in us all getting colds."

Sky paused; she hated the idea of having to wait, because she felt like they were getting close, but she knew that they were right. "Zurr, yor friend beez roight, no beasts shood beez out 'ere in th'wet." A voice said nearby. Sky looked around and finally saw a portly mole standing near a tree. "Woi don' you young uns come insoide?"

"That would be lovely." Sunny said with a sigh. "It's getting much too cold out here."

"Come on then." The mole said, trundling off. Sky and the others followed him around the tree and he hoped down a well-hidden hole. Sky nearly didn't fit, but managed to squeeze in, finding herself in a good sized cavern carved out of the soil. The mole stoked a little stove, making the air considerably warmer already.

"Thank you sir." Lop said. "I think we all would have drowned out there if not for you."

"No need fir dramatics." The mole chuckled. "An' no need fir sirs, neither. My name beez Scap."

"I'm Sky, and this is Lop, Sunny and Freckles." Sky introduced.

"Wot're such young beasts as yorselves doing out 'ere?" Scap asked.

"We're on a quest." Sunny declared.

"A quest, is it?" Scap said, wandering around his home, taking things off shelves that were simply hollows dug into the walls. "Wot sort o' quest?"

"When we were very small, each of us was left at the gates of Redwall with nothing but a note with our name on it and a plea to take care of us." Sky explained. "We're out here looking for the one who left us there."

"'Ow're you goin' t'foind them?" Scap asked. "You don' know oo they beez?"

"I was sent a dream, with a message telling me where to go." Sky replied. "We're to go to the forest of the dead, and apparently there's a big patch of swamp that dried up and nothing grows in it anymore."

"Oh, yes, Oi've seen it." Scap nodded sagely. He handed out cups of something that was steaming gently. Sky took a careful sip; it was mint tea. "Don' know that thurr beez anybeast oot thurr for you t'foind though."

"Well, there must be, since those sorts of dreams never lie." Sky replied.

"Wish you all th'best." Scap said with a smile. "Redwall, ye said? Heard tales o' that place, ne'er seen it moiself."

"It's a lovely place, warm and with all the food you could ever eat." Lop sighed.

"Of course you're thinking of your stomach."

"'Magine it beez safer than oot hurr." Scap commented. "Thurr's a horde o' varmints in these woods lately, you young'uns best beez careful."

"Yes, we've been warned." Sky assured him. "Do you know anything more about this horde?"

"Can' say Oi do." Scap replied. "Keep moi 'ead doiwn, ye see. Easier that way. Oi've 'eard tho this varmint wot leads them loikes to 'urt little'uns, so beez best if you cood avoid 'im."

"We are doing our best." Sky said.

"'Spect you is." Scap nodded. "But you can ne'er beez too careful."

"Thank you for your concern." Sunny said. "It's very sweet."

"Well, Oi try." Scap said, blushing under his fur. "Sounds loike th'rain 'as stopped." He said.

"We'd best get going then." Sky said. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"Troi an' visit me when you come back." Scap said. "Oi'd loike t'hear 'ow it went."

"We'll do our best, sir." Sky said. She led the way out of Scap's home, helping the others up onto the surface. The sky was already lightening up, the sun's rays dancing off the raindrops hanging off the blades of grass and the leaves on the trees.

"Come on, we'd best press on if we want to make up the time we lost." Sky said.

"Aw, Sky. You're sucking the fun out of this adventure." Freckles complained.

"That's the second time we've been warned about a horde in Mossflower." Sky replied. "I think it's for the best if from now on we go silently and quickly."

"You don't think anything will happen to our friends in Redwall, do you?" Lop asked worriedly.

"They're safe behind stone walls." Sky said. "We're the ones out in the open. The less attention we draw to ourselves, the better."

"She's right." Sunny said. "Quiet and fast, that's for the best. We're only a day or two away now, aren't we?"

"We should be, anyways." Sky agreed. Lop stiffened, his lone upright ear twitching.

"Some beasts are coming." He said. "What do we do?"

"Hide!" Sky whispered urgently. The four of them either scrambled up the trees or hid in bushes, waiting for whatever creatures were coming to pass them by.

"I told you we were goin' in the wrong direction." One of the beasts said peevishly.

"You told me?" Another answered. "If I remember correctly, it was you who said 'let's go this way, it's a shortcut'!"

"It was a shortcut, until you decided that you were the one in charge." The first beast said.

"That's because you were leading us into a swamp!" The other beast said. The two of them came into view, and Sky almost sighed in relief seeing a pair of shrews.

"Oh good, shrews." Sunny whispered.

"Who's there?" The first shrew, who was wearing a red bandanna around his head, demanded, pulling out a knife from his belt.

"It's alright, we're friends!" Freckles said, dropping out of a tree.

"Put your knife away Surdi, it's just an otter." The second shrew said. "Little young to be wanderin' about on your own, aren't you?"

"Oh, I'm not alone." Freckles said. "Come on out, they're just shrews." Sky, Lop and Sunny came out of their hiding spots.

"Well, hello to you all." The first shrew said. "I'm Log-a-Log Riva, and this is my second in command Surdi. Who do we have the pleasure of meeting?"

"I'm Freckles, and this is Sky, Sunny and Lop." Freckles said. "We're from Redwall."

"Oh aye, we know of Redwall." Surdi said. "D'your parents know you're out here?"

"Well, we don't have parents, actually." Lop said. He explained how they'd come to Redwall and their quest.

"Seems like an epic journey." Log-a-Log Riva said. "And you're not far from where you want to be. You should be there tomorrow."

"Yes!" Freckles crowed.

"A word of caution to you, though. There's a horde of vermin in these woods, passed through here a few days ago. You don't want to be getting in their way. Their leader's a ruthless beast, even for a vermin." Log-a-Log cautioned.

"We've been told of them a couple times." Sky said. "Who is this leader of their horde?" She asked.

"Rat that goes by the name of Bloodrain." Surdi replied, spitting on the ground in contempt. Sky felt like the ground had dropped out from underneath her and she sat down with an audible thump.

"Sky!" Lop yelped, dropping down beside her. "What's wrong?"

"A rain of blood, Lop, a rain of blood falling on the stones of red." Sky whispered. "That's what the prophesy said. Bloodrain's horde is going to Redwall."

"What? You sure about that?" Log-a-Log asked, frowning.

"Many times in Redwall history there's been dream prophesies, they've never been wrong." Lop explained. "What do we do? We should warn Redwall, but we're so far out."

"And we're so close to our quest's end." Freckles added. "We can't stop now."

"Mayhaps you don't have to stop." Surdi said. "We, the Guosim, were going to be around that area anyways, we can look in on things at Redwall, warn them if need be. Right, Chief?"

"Aye, we could." Log-a-Log said. "T'would be a shame for you four to have come so far and not see your journey through."

"I think that would make us all feel better, sir." Sunny said politely. "Better than having a couple of us head back on our own, leave the others behind."

"No, best to stay in as large a group as you can." Log-a-Log agreed. "Fear not, young ones, Redwall Abbey has dealt with vermin before, haven't they?"

"Yup, and we've sent them packing, every time." Freckles said, grinning. Log-a-Log chuckled.

"Alright then, young ones. We'll go to Redwall… as soon as we can figure out where we left the rest of our tribe."


	11. Chapter 11

Star: I own nothing!

Abbot Oaken led Obsid and her warriors, along with some of his Redwallers. He refused to let them all go up to the walltop to give Bloodrain their answer, and Obsid had agreed with him. She said that letting them see just how many beasts were prepared to fight was not a good idea. Let them think that most of them were scared for now, and hopefully they would get sloppy.

The rain of the morning was slacking off, but everybeast outside was getting very wet indeed. Abbot Oaken cleaned his glasses for what felt like the thousandth time and peered at the contingent of vermin that were making their way to the gate. He could practically feel Obsid thrumming with rage and put a paw on her shoulder.

"Steady, my friend." He said softly. "You will get your chance to fight soon, I should think."

"Not soon enough." The dark squirrel replied, notching an arrow on her bow.

"Wait, please." Abbot Oaken said.

"I am only getting ready, Father Abbot." Obsid replied. "To give them our answer."

"Of course." Abbot Oaken said. He stiffened when Bloodrain strode to the front of the contingent of vermin at their gates.

"Seems you've made some friends, Father Abbot." Bloodrain commented, grinning nastily at Obsid. "I'm sure they've had lots to tell you."

"Yes, we've heard many things about you from them." Abbot Oaken said, not bothering to hide the disgust in his voice.

"Maybe then you'll reconsider your stance, knowing what I am willing to do to you and yours." Bloodrain said, idly tapping his claws on the wickedly curved sword held in one paw. "I doubt your new friends want to see your little ones dead."

Obsid moved quickly, lifting her bow and firing off an arrow at Bloodrain. Bloodrain sidestepped it and the arrow struck the weasel standing behind him. The vermin let out a gurgling scream and fell over. Bloodrain gave the corpse a dispassionate, almost bored look.

"That is our answer, you gutless son of a worm." Obsid said, her voice shaking with rage. "You will not get within these walls, not while there are beasts here to defend it."

"Our friend Obsid speaks for all of us. We will fight to the last beast before we allow our home to be overrun by the likes of you." Abbot Oaken added.

"Such a pity." Bloodrain sighed. "I'd hoped that you were wiser beasts than that. Your little ones will be the ones to suffer now."

"That's if you can get in here." Undertow called. "You'll find that's not so easy. REDWAAALLLLLL!"

The shout was taken up along the wall, with beasts shaking weapons and hurling abuse at the vermin below. Bloodrain merely took a step back and raised a paw. Abbot Oaken watched as at least thirty vermin raised bows and his eyes widened.

"Down!" He shouted, gripping Obsid by her tunic and dragging her below the wall as arrows whistled over their heads. Obsid got up as soon as the arrows had gone over her head, notching her bow and firing off an arrow at the vermin. Her companions were doing the same, and any Redwaller with a sling was returning fire, targeting the archers in particular.

The vermin and those on the walls exchanged fire for a few minutes before Bloodrain waved a paw and headed back to where the rest of his horde was waiting. The rest of the vermin followed. Nobeast on the walls cheered, knowing the Bloodrain was not leaving for good.

"He's up to something."Obsid commented.

"Yes." Abbot Oaken agreed. "Is anybeast hurt?" He asked.

"Just some scratches." Undertow relayed back.

"We have an advantage, being behind these walls." Obsid said. "Bloodrain knows that. He's trying to make us cocky."

"Let's not give him what he wants then." Undertow said with a scowl.

%&%&%&%

"Wow, forest of the dead, they weren't kidding." Freckles said, staring in front of them. They'd come out of the woods and were standing on the edge of the dead forest. As far as the eye could see dead, bleached trees stood. The ground was white as well with dead mosses and the rocks beneath showing through. The effect, with no birds calling, no sounds at all, was incredibly eerie.

"Well, if ever there was a place for ghosts to live, it would be here." Lop quipped, looking at the dead trees uneasily.

"Don't be silly, Lop." Sunny said. "We're here, do you see anybeast?"

"Not from here." Sky replied, a paw shading her eyes. "We'll have to go looking ourselves." She had hoped it would be easier than that, that the being they were seeking would be waiting for them, but that was a Dibbun's fantasy.

"Of course, it couldn't be easy, could it?" Lop sighed.

"Oh don't be so grumpy Lop, we're almost there." Sunny said. She stepped out into the dead swamp, raising dust from the ground. "Come on all of you, no sense hanging about."

Sky stepped into the dead forest and then halted, hackles rising, at the sound of a nasty snigger nearby. She turned to see a skinny weasel, a pair of rangy looking rats and one chubby stoat coming up behind them. The weasel had a spear in his paws and was grinning cruelly at her.

"Get behind me." Sky said quietly, facing the four vermin. Her friends hastily complied, clustering behind her bulky form. "We don't want any trouble."

"Well that's too bad, 'cause trouble's wot you get." The weasel said. "Nice healthy beasts ye are, bet Bloodrain won' say no t'more slaves, once he's got that Redwall place all conquered."

"No!" Sunny cried. Sky made a split second decision.

"Run!" She cried, and launched herself at the vermin, bowling over the weasel immediately. One of the rats shouted at her, brandishing a knife. She smacked it away with a paw, but had to fight off the other rat immediately. A sharp pain in her side made her gasp, but she kept fighting. Two vermin were down, but the other two were fighting, and Sky was starting to flag.

Suddenly a cloaked figure shot out of seemingly nowhere, kicking the stoat down and grabbing Sky's paw. Sky found herself running with the unknown creature, weaving through dead trees, the sounds of pursuit behind the two of them. Her rescuer stopped in a little depression and lifted up the dead moss on the ground to reveal a trapdoor.

"Go, follow the light, I'll find your friends." The creature said, pushing Sky towards the hole. Sky clamoured down it and turned to thank her rescuer, but the creature shut the trapdoor before she could get the words out.

She sat for a moment, getting her breath back and trying to adjust to the darkness. Slowly she was able to see a glow ahead of her. She got up, hissing in pain. She put a paw to her side and found that there was wetness there. Holding her side she began to walk towards the glow, shuffling slowly so she didn't trip over something.

She could hear voices as she got closer to the light. "Now, hold up your paw, can you show me two fingers?" Somebeast asked. "Good, good, now, put up one more. Now, what does that make?"

"Three!" Another voice said jubilantly.

"Good, good, so that's adding." The first beast was saying. Sky stepped into a small cavern that was lit by a few little lanterns and stopped dead in her tracks. A young weasel, who looked to be around Freckles' age, was sitting with an even younger rat, who looked about six or seven seasons old. Both of them looked up and their eyes widened when they saw her.

The three of them stared at each other for a long moment and then the weasel turned to look at the rat. "Dawn, please get me the medicine kit, and then go get Zara for me, okay?" He said, his voice gentler than Sky expected for a vermin. The little rat got up and ran into a different cavern as the weasel got to his footpaws, holding his paws out to Sky.

"You're bleeding, let me help you." He said. "My name is Singer, I won't hurt you." The rat came back in with a wooden case. "Thank you, Dawn." The little rat nodded and ran off again. The weasel, Singer, opened the box to reveal bandages, vials and pots. "I know you probably don't understand what's going on, but please trust me for now."

Sky hesitated, but his eyes were warm and gentle, and he was clean, dressed in a tidy pair of trousers and a shirt. He didn't look like the vermin she'd been raised to be wary of. She walked over to him and sat down. She was much bigger than he was, so she didn't think she'd have a problem overwhelming him if he tried to hurt her.

He carefully peeled away Sky's blood-soaked cloak to see a shallow cut. "There now, not so bad, won't have to try and stitch you up." Singer said with a smile. He poured a liquid into a cloth and pressed it against the wound. Sky hissed as it stung. "Sorry, it cleans the wound, can't be too careful with vermin blades, you know."

He smeared a paste over the wound and placed a dock leaf on top. "There, all better." He said, smiling still. Sky opened her mouth to ask what was going on, but was interrupted by a glad cry, and Sunny practically bowling her over in relief. Sky looked up to find Freckles and Lop there as well and nearly collapsed in relief.

Their rescuer removed their hood to reveal a young vixen who looked to be about Sky's age. "Got her all fixed up Singer?"

"Yes, Paint, sent Dawn to get Zara too." Singer said.

"What's going on?" Lop asked. "Who are you beasts?"

"Questions, questions, all will be answered." A new voice said. A scarred, middle-aged female weasel walked into the cave. Her eyes found Sky's and her face softened. "Well blow me down." She murmured. "Hello again, Skyeyes."


	12. Chapter 12

Star: I own nothing!

"How do you know that name?" Sky asked, her heart racing. "Are you the one that left me at Redwall?"

"No, but I were the one to convince Nora to do so." The weasel replied. "I'm Zara, by the way."

"Who's Nora, and what's all this?" Freckles demanded, waving a paw around the cavern. "We were just rescued from vermin by a vermin."

"Excuse me?" Paintbrush demanded angrily, paws on her hips. "That's not a nice word to call somebeast that's just saved your tails."

"Easy, Paint." Zara soothed. "For these beasts, creatures like us are vermin, but is a beast who is good a vermin even if they are a fox, or a weasel?" Sky and the others just stared at her blankly. "Alright, I guess I'd best start at the beginning, sit on down, all of you."

"I'm going to go check on Fang and the little ones." Paint said, walking out. She still looked rather put out.

"Good girl." Zara said. "I'll start with me, I suppose. Was a sea pirate, back in me youth. My father was one, and his father before him was one, so I was one too. Wasn't a very nice life, stealing from other beasts and fighting for what we did get with each other. Could wind up stabbed in the back by your own just as easily as stabbed by some rival pirate crew. Not many lived very long when they're pirates."

"So why didn't you do something else?" Sunny asked.

"Didn't think I had a choice, Sun-smile." Zara replied evenly. "Pirates was all my family ever was, and I ain't never heard of a weasel being a farmer or a tradesbeast. But anyways, I found myself on the rong side of one of my crewmates and the next thing I knew I was lying alone on a beach, bleeding out onto the sand. Thought I was done for, but I woke up again, and there was Nora."

"Nora's the one who brought us to Redwall?" Sky asked.

"Patience, patience, I'm getting there." Zara admonished. "Now, Nora got me all patched up, nursed me back to health, and I thought it was best to stay with her. She's a wanderer, so I followed her through forests and swamps and everywhere. The first time we came across a little family, I believe they was hedgehogs, and we were hungry and my cloak was getting patchy. I saw those hedgehogs and I thought we was going to raid them, but Nora walked down there, right up to them, and managed to make them understand that she wanted to help patch their roof in return for food."

"Make them understand?" Freckles repeated.

"Oh yes, Nora's mute, can't talk. She uses paw signs to communicate and charades when the other beasts don't understand." Zara explained. "Was the strangest thing for me to watch, these little beasts lettin' Nora help them out and then giving her food and trinkets as a thank you. Seemed a lot less bloody than what I had done before."

"So you helped Nora?" Sunny asked.

"Not at first. Didn't think goodbeasts would like me very much. Did a lot o' cooking and foraging to earn me keep." Zara said. Sky noticed how sometimes she'd slip into sailor talk, but other than the slips she talked like a Redwaller. "But one day Nora was having trouble with a family of voles who needed a new roof, they couldn't understand her gestures, so I went down to translate. Took a little bit of doing, but most beasts living in these woods know the two of us now and trust us. Even taught myself how to talk respectable-like, so nice beasts trust me a little easier."

"So, where do we come in?" Sky asked.

"I'm getting to that Skyeyes." Zara replied. "Nora's a wanderer, so it wasn't uncommon for her to wander away on her own for a couple days. She always came back so it never worried me. But, one day, she comes back, and she's got a little badger babe with her, probably don't have to tell you who that was." Sky nodded her head in understanding. "Your parents had been killed, by a vermin by the name of Bloodrain."

Sunny gasped, paws over her mouth. "We've been hearing about a Bloodrain, and his horde."

"The vermin that were chasing you were his." Paint said, coming back into the cavern. "Zara, they said Bloodrain's making a move on Redwall."

"Aye, we wondered when he would." Zara said. "Once we're done here I'll go put out the word to all the beasts that aren't too afraid to fight. The Bloodrain that leads that horde is the same one that killed your parents, though back then he wasn't the leader of a horde, just a power hungry vermin. He killed your parents and left you to starve."

"So Nora saved my life." Sky said.

"She did." Zara agreed. "She wanted to keep you, but I didn't think our life of wandering was any good for a babe, nor was growing up without other little ones like you. Problem was, Nora was too afraid to let any of the beasts in the forest adopt you, in case Bloodrain came calling. I knew of Redwall though, and I finally convinced her you'd be best off there. Broke our hearts it did, to leave you, we loved you so, Nora especially."

"That's what Trebuck told me, that somebeast loved me enough to leave me to a better life." Sky said, rubbing her eyes.

"Aye." Zara said. "Wasn't a few days later that Nora comes up to me with Paint." She laughed. "The apologetic look on her face, I will never forget that. 'Course we couldn't leave Paint at Redwall like you, so we kept her with us, wandering around the woods. Nora found more little woodlanders to rescue, and we always left them at Redwall. Wasn't until Nora brought back Singer that I put my paw down and told her we needed a real home if she was going to be bringing back orphans."

"And you found this place?" Lop guessed.

"We'd explored it when we found that the swamp here had dried out. Turns out the rock below developed cracks, drained all the water out. There's a few underground pools here we use for water and bathing, even one spot in these caves where it's nice and warm too for the winter." Zara said with a grin. "So yes, we built here, Nora and me scrounged up lamps, blankets and all sorts of things. Over the seasons we've acquired a few more little ones down here."

"So do you just stay down here, all the time?" Sunny asked.

"No, o' course not, not good for the little uns." Zara said. "We go out and play, there's a few places that most beasts don't know about nearby where they can wander in peace."

"It's gotten harder in the last few seasons with Bloodrain building up his horde." Paint added. "Fang was almost caught once already, so we're extra cautious. Vicious bunch of bullies they all are." She added in a mutter. "And I could have been one of them, if not for Nora."

"You look after the little ones?" Sky asked. The vixen nodded her head solemnly.

"Me and Singer both, but Singer wants to go wandering with Nora." Paint replied.

"Just for a little bit." Singer said. "See the world." He turned and frowned. "Oi, what's going on, Fang?"

"We wanted to see." Fang, a ferret who looked about ten seasons old, with a single canine tooth that protruded from his mouth, said. "Never seen any woodland creatures before, only seen us and any vermin that finds us."

Sky noticed the smaller creatures hiding behind Fang and found herself laughing a little. They reminded her of the Dibbuns back at Redwall. "Well, come on in then." Zara sighed. Along with Fang came Dawn, as well as a ferret maid, a stoat lad and a pair of rat maids, all looking as though they were three or four seasons old.

"We think somebeast tried to replace Bloodrain as horde leader, and he punished a lot of beasts." Paint said quietly at Sky's look. "You've met Fang and Dawn already, so the ermine is Winter," The little light-furred ferret waved a paw at them. "The stoat is Stormy," The stoat put a paw in his mouth, shuffling shyly, "And these two are Night and Day." The two rats, one light-furred, the other dark, giggled to each other.

Dawn moved forward a little. "Are you a badger?" She asked. "Zara says that badgers are huuuggggeee, and you're the biggest beast I've ever seen, except for Nora, she's sooooo big!" Sky was completely disarmed by the little rat, who, in her clean frock and ribbon on her head, reminded her of Sunny when she was little.

"Yes, I am a badger." Sky answered. "my name is Sky and these are my friends. Lop is a hare, Sunny is a mouse, and Freckles is an otter."

Day toddled over to Lop and held up her paws. "Up!" She demanded. Lop lifted her up and she grabbed at his lop ear, giggling. In moments the four Redwallers were beset by the little ones climbing into laps and chattering away as only Dibbuns could. Sky was smiling so wide it almost hurt, and she saw that both Zara and Paint had identical smiles on their faces. Their little bubble of happiness was popped however when the sounds of shouting echoed through the tunnels.

"Uh oh, looks like we've been found!"


	13. Chapter 13

Star: I own nothing!

"Come on you lot, time to put those practice drills to good use." Zara said. She picked up the lantern on the ground and headed down a set of caves. Paint, Singer, Lop and Sky each gathered up a little one and all of them followed after the retreating weasel.

"Knew this day would come." Paint panted. "Nora and Zara have been running escape drills with us for many seasons."

"No time for talking, missy, just run." Zara said, slowing down to bring up the rear as they entered another tunnel. Sky slowed as well, seeing Zara pick up a rope and start pulling on it.

"Keep going, I'll catch up." She said to Lop, handing Sunny little Day. "Do you need help?" She asked, running up to Zara who was still fighting with the rope.

"This tunnel caved in a few seasons ago, we got it fixed up, but rigged it so the tunnel opening should cave in when I pull the supports out." Zara explained. She pointed out the wooden supports around the tunnel entrance. "Problem is, it seems to be stuck."

"Well, if the rope won't do it, I can see one other way to bring this tunnel down." Sky said. She threw herself at one of the wooden supports, pushing at it.

"Sky!" She heard Lop cry behind her.

"Keep going!" Zara yelled, pushing at the other support. "Run as fast and as far as you can! Get somewhere safe, we'll find you, I promise."

Sky didn't hear if any of them had anything to say about that because with a mighty groan the supports began to give way. Sky kept shoving and shoving, feeling the support she was pushing leaning and leaning. Suddenly a paw pushed her in the back, just as the ceiling of the tunnel caved in. Unfortunately she and Zara were on the wrong side of the cave in, and the vermin were coming fast.

"What do we do?" Sky asked.

"Can you trust me?" Zara asked.

"I… I think so." Sky said.

"Then stay on the ground and play along with me." Zara said. She pulled out a knife and began shouting. "Stupid stripedog, I oughta have yer guts fer garters." She aimed a kick at Sky, but it was gentle. Sky realized what Zara was trying to do and starting yelling.

"Owowow, mercy please!" She said as the vermin that had been chasing them, plus a big ferret, came running in. Zara lifted her leg for another kick.

"Don't be kickin' that beast again." The ferret ordered. Zara sneered at him.

"An' why shouldn't I?" She demanded. "Just lost me a bunch o' slaves this scum did."

"We're takin' 'er to Bloodrain." The ferret said. "He won't want 'er all bruised up."

"Aye, Bloodrain, you work for 'im?" Zara asked, looking interested.

"Wot's it t'you, weasel?" The ferret asked.

"Been hearin' 'bout him an' his horde, thought I'd join up." Zara said with a wicked grin. "Sick o' piratin' an' if he's goin' after Redwall…" She licked her chops greedily. Sky had to admit she was a good actress, if she was acting that is.

"Suppose you c'n tag along, but I'm in charge, an' if I see you kickin' that beast again, I'll gut you." The ferret snarled.

"Fine, fine." Zara said sulkily. She gave Sky a quick apologetic look as the vermin bound her up and forced her up to her paws. Her one consolation, she thought as she was muzzled and forced to march, was that her friends and the little ones were safe for now.

%&%&%&%

Lop listened, his standing up ear swivelling to and fro in the tunnel. They'd all stopped when they heard the tunnel collapse, thankfully far enough away that the cave in didn't affect them. "Anything?" Freckles asked hopefully.

"Nope, not a sound. If they were coming they'd have gotten to us by now." Lop replied reluctantly.

"Well, we have to go back for her then!" Freckles declared.

"We have to keep going forward!" Paint snapped. "We don't know if the cave-in worked, or if those vermin will be able to get through it, we need to get somewhere safe."

"That's our friend back there, you can't just expect us to leave her behind." Freckles argued.

"And one of our caretakers, our parent, is back there too, do you think I want to leave her behind?" Paint demanded, eyes fierce but shining with tears. "Our biggest concern now is getting the little ones to safety."

Lop looked at Winter, who was clinging to him with little paws and sighed. "She's right, we can't afford to go back and see what happened." He said quietly. "It's too risky."

"But Sky could be trapped, or captured." Sunny protested.

"She's with Zara, Zara won't let any harm come to her." Paint said.

"And how do you know that?" Freckles demanded.

"Because Zara always looks after her little ones, and Skyeyes was her first little one." Paint replied. "Now, we really need to get somewhere safe."

"Redwall." Sunny said. "We'll bring you to Redwall."

"Redwall, are you kidding?" Paint demanded. "Look at us, they won't help us there."

"Yes they will." Sunny replied. "Redwall would never close its gates to beasts in need, and we're all certainly in need."

"Paint, Redwall's got walls around it." Singer said. "It's the safest place in these woods if Bloodrain's running around. At the very least they won't turn away the little ones. You and me… we can survive on our own, Nora and Zara made sure about it, but the little ones need somewhere safer than the woods. We can't stay in these caves, not now that somebeast has found them."

Paint sighed, shoulders slumping. "Alright, we'll go to Redwall." She said. "I'm not going to be surprised if they turn us away though." She added in a growl.

"Fair enough." Lop shrugged. "We'd better get going, it's a long march ahead of us."

%&%&%&%

It was late in the night but Sky couldn't sleep. It was partly due to the fact that she was tied to a tree and partly due to the fact that she was downwind from the vermin and none of them seemed to know how to bathe. It was mostly out of worry for her friends though, she didn't know where they were or if they were safe and she was going mad with anxiety.

Zara walked up and switched out watch duties with the yawning rat that had been staring at Sky for the last several hours. Zara was quiet, watching as the rat flopped down on the ground next to the fire and started snoring. She breathed a sigh and looked at Sky.

"Sorry about all this, first thing I could think of to make sure they didn't hurt you." She whispered. "Piece of good luck with that ferret not wanting you all bruised up when we get to Redwall, thought I was going to have to convince them of that."

Sky snorted through her muzzle, narrowing her eyes at Zara. "Ahh, you're wondering why I don't just free you and we make a run for it, right?" Zara asked. Sky nodded her head. "I have three reasons for not doing that, and I hope you think they're good too. My number one reason for not making a run for it is that if these vermin are running around the woods searching for us, they might run into your friends and my little ones."

Sky's eyes widened at the implications. She hadn't thought about that. "My second reason is if they have you they're just going to go to Bloodrain, not go after anymore innocent beasts." Zara continued. "And my third reason, this gives Nora something to track. She's supposed to come home in the morning, when she finds the place empty she'll likely follow our trail, since the trail the little ones left is going to be cut off. I'm using us and those vermin as bait to lead Nora right to Bloodrain. Then, Skyeyes, there shall be a reckoning."

She growled that last bit so ferociously Sky would have shuffled away from her if she could have. "Sorry, my dear, Nora's been waiting for a chance at Bloodrain, for all the little ones she couldn't save in time." Zara explained gently. "Would like a chance at him myself, but Nora's more likely to win in a fight with him. Ah well…" She sighed and looked up at the sky for a moment. "Don't worry about your friends, Paint has a good head on her shoulders, and they'll probably go to Redwall anyways, won't they?"

Sky nodded her head. "And they'll be helped there, won't they?" Zara asked, sounding uncertain. "Even though my little ones are… different?" Sky nodded her head again. "Good, good. Try to get some rest Skyeyes, it's going to be a long few days."


	14. Chapter 14

Star: I own nothing!

Lop stared up at the walls of his home, waiting for the sun to get low. After days and nights of panic at the slightest sounds and frazzled nerves they had finally made it to Redwall. It didn't look too bad, aside from some scorch marks on the walls and arrows sticking out of the gate. Earlier he'd watched some of the horde use grappling hooks and rope to try to scale the wall. Those on the wall had set fire to the ropes and many of the climbing vermin had died from the fall.

"Now or never Lop." Freckles whispered as the shadows from the wall reached the edge of the trees, creating a path of darkness from the forest to the little side gate they were hoping to get in. The vermin were concentrating on the front gate, so they should be able to dash over, once they got one of the watchers on the wall to pay attention.

Lop lifted his paws to his mouth and whistled in a fair imitation of a robin. The figure on the wall twitched at the sound; robins didn't usually sing this late in the day. Lop did it again and nearly sighed in relief when the figure turned to peer into the darkness. Lop waved his arms around and got a stunned wave in return.

Lop gestured to the gate, and the beast hesitated a moment before nodding and disappearing. "Go, go." Lop whispered, holding tight to Winter and running for the wall. The rest followed after him, running silent and swift to crowd around the door fearfully. The door clicked open and they all slipped inside.

"Undertow, am I glad to see you." Lop said, grinning with relief at the scarred sea otter.

"Picked a hell of a time to come back." Undertow replied. "Who are all these…" His eyes widened when he realized who was with them.

"Undertow, it's alright, they're friends." Lop said.

"Friends?" Undertow growled. "These are vermin."

"If this is your idea of safe, Lop, then I think I'd rather take my chances out there." Paint said, her voice trembling. Sunny took her free paw, squeezing it reassuringly. Winter just clung harder to Lop, whimpering softly. Undertow looked at the little ferret for a long moment.

"Redwall opens its gates to any who need help, and they need help." Sunny said. "I know there's a horde at the gates, but Paint, Singer and all of them are good beasts."

"They're just little, are you going to banish little ones out into the cold?" Freckles asked. Undertow looked at all of them and sighed.

"Alright, I'll believe you, for now. Let's get you inside and I'll find Abbot Oaken." He said reluctantly.

"Thank you, Undertow." Lop sighed. "I know this is really unusual, but we're all tired and just want somewhere to sit down and not worry about somebeast coming out of the dark to attack us."

Undertow just nodded and led them inside to Cavern Hole. "Wait here, I'll find Abbot Oaken for you."

"It'll be alright." Sunny said when he'd left. "Abbot Oaken is fair and kind, he won't turn you away."

"What about the rest?" Paint asked quietly. "Can your Abbot stop everybeast here from attacking us just because we're different?"

"Redwallers don't just attack other beasts for no reason." Sunny replied, preventing Stormy from wandering off. "They'll be wary of you, but considering the army that's at our gates that's not surprising. There's been stories of beasts like you, ones we normally call vermin, coming to Redwall and being treated with kindness."

"And how have those stories ended?" Paint asked.

"Sometimes badly, sometimes not." Sunny said. "But not because of something a Redwaller did. In all cases, if it ended badly, it was because of the beast we welcomed into Redwall. Abbot Oaken will listen to us, I'm sure of that."

"I hope you're right." Paint sighed wearily.

%&%&%&%

Abbot Oaken walked the hallways, steeling himself to meet these beasts that had been brought into their home. He did not want to make them ill at ease, or feel unwelcome, that was not the Redwall way, but with the vermin horde at their gates he knew that it would be difficult to squash his gut reaction to the situation.

He stopped just outside Cavern Hole, taking a couple deep breaths to calm himself. "Wan' Nora!" He heard a very young beast cry from within. He peeked inside and saw a little rat, the same age as any of his Dibbuns, sitting in a vixen's lap, lip trembling. "Wan' Zara!" She wailed, big fat tears pouring from her eyes.

The other little ones in the room began to wail as well, clinging to anybeast close to them. "Singer!" The vixen said to a weasel, who had a crying stoat in his lap. The weasel cleared his throat and opened his mouth to sing in the clearest, sweetest voice Abbot Oaken had ever heard.

Oh! hush thee, my baby, the night is behind us,

And black are the waters that sparkled so green.

The moon, o'er the combers, looks downward to find us

At rest in the hollows that rustle between.

Where billow meets billow, then soft be thy pillow;

Ah, weary wee flipperling, curl at thy ease!

The storm shall not wake thee, nor shark overtake thee,

Asleep in the arms of the slow-swinging seas

Asleep in the arms of the slow-swinging seas

By the time he was done singing, all the little ones were crowded around him, quiet once more. Singer began to sing again, his voice soft and calm.

La la lu, La la lu  
Oh, my little star sweeper  
I'll sweep the stardust for you

La la lu, La la lu  
Little soft fluffy sleeper  
Here comes a pink cloud for you

La la lu, La la lu  
Little wandering angel  
Fold up your wings close your eyes

La la lu, La la lu  
And may love be your keeper  
La la lu, La la lu, La la lu

The four little creatures were all yawning and curling up against Singer, who tenderly stroked the fur on each of their heads as they drifted off to sleep. Abbot Oaken decided that this was as good a time as any to make his presence known. He stepped into the room and the vixen looked up, fear in her bright eyes.

"It's okay, Paint, this is Abbot Oaken." Lop assured her, patting her paw. The trust between the Redwallers and the other young beasts was not missed on Abbot Oaken.

"Welcome to Redwall, and welcome home." He said. He then noticed the missing member of their group. "Where is Sky?"

"She and Zara, one of our parents, stayed behind to make sure the bad beasts that were after us could not catch up to us." Paint said. "We couldn't go back to find them, I'm sorry."

"Like you said, we had little ones to think about, and you said Zara would take care of her." Lop replied. "Abbot Oaken, I know you have a lot of questions, but I think we should get the younger ones to bed, none of us have slept much in the last several days."

"Of course." Abbot Oaken agreed. "The infirmary will do nicely for now, until we can get this sorted with the rest of our Redwallers."

"That would be wonderful." Singer sighed, yawning widely. The rat and ferret who were still awake echoed his sentiment with yawns of their own. Paint took charge of two of the babes, a pair of little rats, while Lop took a little ferret, who clung to him even in sleep. Singer took the last, the little stoat who had started crying first.

Abbot Oaken led the way up to the infirmary and had a quick word with Sister Cincha. She quailed her curiosity quickly, seeing the young beasts in need of rest and made up a bunch of beds for them. The little ones were put on one bed, curled up in a pile.

"That's how they always sleep." Paint explained. "I think I should stay up here, I'm supposed to be in charge of the little ones if Nora and Zara aren't around. Wasn't really supposed to be outside when we found you." She said to Lop. "But I suppose it worked out."

"I'm staying up here too." Singer declared. "I don't want to be in the middle of a mob of frightened woodlanders, and Paint needs help with the littles."

"Perhaps that is wise." Abbot Oaken said.

"Thank you, Father, for this kindness." Paint said softly.

"We help those in need." Abbot Oaken replied.


	15. Chapter 15

Star: I own nothing!

Obsid walked from the walltop across the lawn as the sun was coming up. She didn't like the night watch, couldn't see as much as she liked, but they all had to take their turn. She was going over the story she'd been told by her relief, about the vermin children that were currently being treated to Redwall's hospitality like a good beast would.

'Poppycock.' She thought to herself as she headed inside, intending to find a bite of food and then her bed. A vermin is a vermin, no matter how young, or polite they seemed. She was going to be watching her back carefully while they were here, and would be hard pressed not to scream 'I told you so' when it turned out they were just like all the rest of the vermin.

She spotted one of the little vermin as she entered Cavern Hole, just about to touch the tapestry that was so cherished. "What are you doing?" She demanded harshly. The little rat squeaked and whirled, putting her paws behind her back.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm not supposed to touch without asking." The little vermin said. "Are you a squirrel?"

"Of course I'm a squirrel, don't I look like one?" Obsid said irritably.

"Never seen a squirrel before." The rat replied. "The Favver Abbot was a squirrel last night, I think, but I was soooo sleepy so I didn't really pay attention so much, but Zara told me that squirrels have the biggest, fluffiest tails ever and your tail is very, very fluffy."

"How have you never seen a squirrel before?" Obsid asked, mystified.

"We live underground, under an old swamp." The child replied cheerily. "I will get to travel with Nora when I'm older if I want, but right now I'm too little."

Obsid shook her head; she'd been forgetting that she was talking to a rat. "Why were you going to touch the tapestry?" She asked sternly. The little rat turned to look at Martin the Warrior, staring at him for a long moment.

"He looks so real, and see, he's smiling at me!" The rat said. "I thought if I touched him he'd come to life for real. Who is he?"

"He is Martin the Warrrior, he defended good beasts against bad beasts." Obsid said. "The Redwallers say his spirit protects this place."

"He feels nice." The rat sighed. "He feels like when Nora gives me a hug and it feels like nothing can ever get me."

Obsid had heard many tales about this tapestry. She'd heard how thieves and conquerors would look at Martin the Warrior's image and be overcome with dread. The fact that this little creature was not afraid and in fact felt like Martin was smiling at her was shocking to her. She looked at Martin the Warrior and could have sworn that he winked at her.

"I'm Dawn, what's your name?" The rat asked, smiling up at her.

"I am Obsid, leader of the tribe of Blacktree." Obsid replied.

"It's nice to meet you, Miss Obsid." Dawn said politely. "Do you know where I can get something to eat? We haven't had much food since we had to run away from our home and I don't want to get lost."

Obsid almost said no, but then thought it was better to be able to keep an eye on Dawn rather than having her wandering around causing trouble. "The Friar should have something to eat in the kitchen, come with me."

"Thank you!" Dawn chirped happily, skipping along beside her. "This place is soooo big! I think the caves were big, but they didn't have stairs or rooms with doors like this place does, there's so many, many rooms in this place, how do you not get lost?"

Obsid just let the little creature chatter on as they walked to the kitchen. "Good morning, Obsid." Friar Bustle said cheerily as he pulled blueberry scones from the oven. "And hello, who might you be?" He asked as Dawn peeked over the prep table at him.

"I'm Dawn, pleased to meet you." Dawn chirped. "Are you a hedgehog?"

"Yes, my dear child, I am." Friar Bustle replied with a chuckle. "I am Friar Bustle, I make the food here at Redwall."

"It smells really good in here." Dawn said empathetically. "May I have something to eat, please?"

"Well, breakfast is going to be on in just a little bit, but I don't see the harm in you having a little something to tide you over until then." Friar Bustle said. He took a pair of scones and cut them apart, smearing honey on each half. He gave one plate to Obsid, and the other to Dawn, who clapped in delight.

"Thank you!" She said happily. Obsid watched as she ate daintily, cleaning her whiskers after every bite. Obsid had watched vermin before, and not one of them ate as tidily as Dawn, not even Bloodrain, who liked to consider himself noble. "This is very yummy."

"Why thank you, my dear." Friar Bustle said, spikes rattling. "I have something else you might like too. Have you ever tried strawberry fizz?"

"No, what's that?" Dawn asked eagerly. Friar Bustle chuckled and went to the cellars, coming back with a tankard of cider for Obsid, and a cup of strawberry fizz for Dawn. Obsid sipped her cider and watched as Dawn first sniffed at the drink and then took a sip.

"It tickles!" She giggled.

"That's why it's called strawberry fizz, child." Friar Bustle chuckled.

"Dawn!" Somebeast called. Obsid turned and fought down the urge to bristle as a young vixen came trotting in. "Where have you been?" She asked.

"I was hungry." Dawn explained.

"You shouldn't wander off on your own." The vixen admonished, running her paws over Dawn's head and shoulders, as though assuring herself that she was alright. "I'm sorry, she hasn't caused any trouble, has she?"

"Nope, delightful child." Friar Bustle replied. "Polite as can be."

"Zara taught us always to be polite." Dawn said proudly. "What's wrong, Paint? I thought we were safe here?"

Paint seemed to hesitate for a second, smoothing down her frock. "I always knew where you were, or where you could be, when we were in the caves." She said gently. "I'm still not done being scared from being out in the woods so when I woke up and couldn't find you, it scared me."

"I'm sorry Paint." Dawn said, hugging Paint. "Didn't mean to make you sad."

"That's okay. For now though, if you want to go somewhere can you tell me, or Singer, if you're going to wander around?" Paint asked.

"What about Lop and Freckles and Sunny? Can I tell them?" Dawn asked.

"I suppose you could." Paint agreed. "I need to go back upstairs, make sure Singer can deal with the little ones, will you come with me?"

"Can I stay here until breakfast?" Dawn pleaded.

"I can keep an eye on her, if you'd like." Friar Bustle offered.

"Thank you, sir, then yes, Dawn, you can say. But stay out of trouble." Paint said.

"I shall find my bed." Obsid announced as Paint began to walk away.

"Have a good sleep, Miss Obsid." Dawn called to her. Obsid walked alongside Paint, not quite trusting a vixen wandering around Redwall. A little one was one thing, but Paint was almost full grown.

"Thank you." Paint said suddenly.

"For what?" Obsid asked shortly.

"For being kind to Dawn." The vixen replied. "I know it isn't easy for you to have creatures like us wandering around here."

"She's a child, not much she could do just yet." Obsid replied gruffly.

"The younger ones don't know that other beasts will think they're bad." Paint said quietly. "They won't understand at their age, and we didn't think they'd be meeting other beasts until they were older. I'm afraid for them here, because they're very friendly, you saw Dawn, and somebeast might decide to hurt them."

"I do not think the Redwallers will try to hurt little ones, but they might not be as kind as they would to other beasts." Obsid said after a moment's thought. "And honestly, those that are wary will probably find themselves liking your little ones, if they are all as friendly as Dawn is."

"Sister Cincha told me about what happened to your clan." Paint said. "I know this must be harder on you than others, so again, thank you for your kindness. Bloodrain left all of us for dead, if not for Nora and Zara, we would not be here now."

"You are lucky, not all are so fortunate." Obsid said.

"Yes, I've seen Nora when she's come home after finding a babe already dead. Anybeast that does that to little ones deserves no mercy." Paint said grimly. "I hope Nora gets to him first, after all the heartache he's caused her."

They paused outside the infirmary, where it sounded like there were little ones awake. "Sounds like you're needed." Obsid commented.

"Of course." Paint sighed. "Good day to you."

She slipped into the infirmary, leaving a very thoughtful Obsid behind.


	16. Chapter 16

Star: I own nothing!

Paint eyed the Great Hall with all those creatures already in it with trepidation. She shifted Stormy on her hip as he began to fuss in hunger. "Steady on my gel, we're right with you, every step of the way." Lop said, picking up Winter.

"We should sit with the Dibbuns." Sunny said, holding onto Night and Day's paws. "They won't care who's sitting with them."

"And the others may see how we are with the little ones and relax a little." Paint observed. Lop blinked at her. "I am a fox." She reminded him.

"Right, sort of forget after a while." He said sheepishly, grinning at her. "Now, let's go in before these little ones try to eat us instead."

"Yuck!" Fang declared. "Too much fur."

"You said it, squirt." Freckles said, ruffling his headfur.

"Well, onwards." Singer sighed, leading the march inside. Conversation stopped as they walked in and Paint resisted the urge to cringe at the staring. She kept her attention on Stormy, who was squirming impatiently now.

Lop just led them all to where the Dibbuns were sitting, and already creating chaos. "All the manners we've tried to teach them will be gone within a week in this place." Paint muttered, sitting down with Stormy on her lap.

Friar Bustle came out with a cart of food, with Dawn skipping behind him with another cart. "Go sit down now, dear, I can handle this." Friar Bustle told Dawn, giving her a pat on the head. Dawn skipped to the table and sat down beside Fang, immediately chattering away happily.

Conversation came back slowly, quietly. Paint and the other older ones took charge not only of their little ones, but the rest of the Dibbuns as well. Paint was spooning a bit of oatmeal into Stormy's mouth when a gob of oatmeal smacked her cheek, making her look up.

A little mouse was grinning at her mischievously. Paint could feel the adults in the room watching her, waiting to see how she would react. She wiped the mess off her face with a paw and tasted it. "Mmm, that's very good. I guess if you don't want it, I'll eat it." She said, reaching out a paw for the mouse's bowl.

"No! Mine!" The Dibbun declared, shielding his bowl protectively.

"Better eat it then, or I will." Paint said sweetly. The little mouse dug into his breakfast quickly. Paint saw Fang turn to the red squirrel next to him and started talking.

"When I was little I thought if I tipped my bowl over they'd give me something I liked better, but all they did was put me to bed with no supper. I learned very quickly to eat what I was given." He said. "I'm Fang."

"I can see why." The squirrel commented. "I'm Flame."

"I can see why." Fang said, grinning. "Are you like me, did Nora rescue you?"

"He is one of the found ones." Lop said. "Like you."

"Like me? But isn't he supposed to be a bad beast?" Flame asked, frowning.

"Nora and Zara made sure we knew how to be good." Fang told him. "The bad beasts left us for dead, and Nora rescued us, why would we want to be bad too?"

"Okay." Flame said, and went back to his breakfast.

"The younger ones are easy, it's the adults you have to worry about." Lop murmured. Paint nodded at him. He still looked tired and frazzled. He'd spent most of their time either worrying about Sky, or worrying about the little ones. Now all he had to worry about was Sky.

Winter seemed to be making friends with a chubby little otter maid, the two of them giggling as they fed each other from their plates. Night and Day were sitting on either side of a shy little vole, babbling to him and each other happily. Stormy was sharing his scone with a little mole, the two of them quiet and solemn.

Paint did as she always did, took care of the little ones, wiping whiskers and paws, settling squabbles between the littles. Lop had to make her sit down and take a few bites of food every so often, while Singer chuckled and commented that Zara often had to do the same.

"Why are you called Paint?" A young hedgehog, about 11 or 12 seasons old, asked. "I'm called Pins because of my spikes."

Paint lifted her tail to show off the bright white tip of it. "Nora, the one who found me, thought my tail looked like a paintbrush, so that is what she named me." She explained. "Singer was named because he was always trying to hum along to the songs Zara would sing to him as a babe."

"Will Nora come here?" Flame asked. "Sky, Lop, Freckles and Sunny went looking for her, if she's the one that left us all here, will she come to us?"

"I think she will." Paint said. "If only to stop Bloodrain."

"He's a very bad beast." Pins commented. "We're not allowed to play outside anywhere near the walls because he had his bad beasts firing arrows over the walls. Chip nearly got hit by one."

Fang shook his head. "Going after little ones, doesn't make sense." He muttered.

"That's 'cause you're a good beast." Friar Bustle said, coming around with another cauldron of oatmeal. "If it did make sense to you, you'd be a bad beast."

"Thank you, sir." Fang said as he got another dollop of oatmeal in his bowl.

"Your lot's more polite than some of our young ones." Friar Bustle commented to Paint. "Never seen such well-behaved Dibbuns in all my seasons."

"What's Dibbuns?" Dawn asked.

"Little 'uns, like him." Lop said, poking Winter in the belly and making him giggle. "Though our Dibbuns are much more unruly than your bunch."

"So I've seen." Paint said blandly, making Lop laugh. She couldn't relax, not with all the staring eyes in this room. She would have preferred, if it was just her, going on her own, trying to find Nora, but she had the little ones to look after, and this was the best place for them, for now anyways.

"I suppose it's because we've had to stay hidden." Singer said thoughtfully, prying a spoon out of a little squirrel's paw before she could bop her neighbour on the head again. "Can't let them run wild, manners was just a side-effect of that I think."

Everybeast looked up as Undertow came running in. "Bloodrain's got Sky." He said was silence for a beat and then the Great Hall erupted with sound. Paint clutched Stormy fearfully, worried that the frightened Redwallers would turn on them, if they would think to use them as hostages to trade for one of their own. She felt a paw on her shoulder and nearly jumped out of her fur.

"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you." Lop said reassuringly. She looked into his grave brown eyes and relaxed just a little bit. She saw Freckles and Sunny draw close around the little ones, making certain they knew where Dawn and Fang were. She wasn't alone; she didn't have to do this on her own.

"SILENCE!" Abbot Oaken bellowed over the noise. "I want every beast who is awake and able on the walls. This may be time for the final assault. Anybeast not above the age of eighteen seasons stays inside."

Everybeast began to move and Paint stood up, shepherding her little ones with Singer's help to her. They were going back to the infirmary, staying out of the way until this mess was over. She looked around for Lop, but he had vanished. She put it out of her mind and herded the little ones towards the stairs. Looking back one last time she saw Lop headed for the front door with a sword in his paw.

Of course Lop would want to face the beasts that had Sky captured. Honestly, if she didn't have the little ones to look after, she might have been up there too, facing down the vermin that had killed so many, and left so many little ones to die. It was always awful to see Nora after she'd been too late to save a little one, and Paint hated Bloodrain for making her guardian cry.

Paint and Singer got the little ones to the infirmary quickly and quietly. "What's going on?" Sister Cincha asked, looking worried.

"Bloodrain's got Sky." Paint explained. Sister Cincha put her paws over her mouth, eyes wide with horror. "Abbot Oaken thinks this might be the final battle."

"Then I may be dealing with injured soon." Sister Cincha said, clenching her paws and taking a deep breath, calming herself. "You should take the little ones to the Dibbuns' dormitory, I don't think they need to see injured beasts."

"Right, of course Sister." Paint said. "Will you be alright?" She asked, seeing Sister Cincha's paws start to shake.

"I'll be alright, it's just… Sky, oh dear Sky, I hope she's alright." Sister Cincha said.

"Don't worry, Sister." Singer piped up. "Nora will come, and she won't let anything happen to her little ones."


End file.
